The Child of Time: Untamed
by Percyjacksonfan16
Summary: After being thrown into modern world, Thalia has to work with Percy Jackson, a stabworthy son of Kronos in order to save a goddess & thanks to some bizarre connection, their lives are tied together. Against all odds, she falls for Percy. Hard. There's only a few minor problems: his mom is stuck in Tartarus & a sworn maiden catches his attention. Then again, that's minor. Book #3
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- PLEASE READ! Okay, now that I've got your attention, I just want to let you guys know that this book is part of a series so if you haven't read the full series and you'd like to, please go to my stories and do so. This story will remain in first Person-specifically, Thalia will be narrating-for the most part. I will occasionally write in third person but I'll write the change of pov in bold. So unless stated otherwise, it's first person. Happy reading!**

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 **1st POV/Thalia-**

 **My palms sweated profusely as I approached the Big House.** It was a pride thing, you see-asking for help for something well within your capabilities. I got it from my father, Zeus-Lord of the Skies and King of the Gods. As in Zeus-the god from Greek 'mythology.' I know what you're thinking, those _are_ just myths, Thalia. They aren't real.

Well, I'd like you to tell that to the monsters that nearly chased me to my death about six years ago. To make a long story short: the gods are real and they have children with mortals (the only thing that's really changed is the location of Mount Olympus, the home of the twelve major Olympians) and I am the product of such interactions. As the child of one of the three major gods, I was constantly hunted by monsters and I had almost made it to a safe haven for demigods-Camp Half Blood. But the monsters outnumbered me and my companions then on top of Half Blood Hill, I took what I thought was my last breath.

It wasn't. Thank the gods.

I suppose my father felt bad for basically dooming me to a life a tragedy from the start or was feeling sympathetic that particular day, but he turned me into a tree, preserving my life. For six years, my spirit protected the camp's borders, giving other half bloods the chance to live their lives in safety so none would have to perish as I had. There was a slight bump in plans as my ex-friend, Luke Castellan, side kick to the source of all evil, poisoned my tree in order to weaken the camp's borders and raise an evil titan. Eventually, a cure was brought to Camp and its borders were restored. It worked so well that I was ejected from the tree.

Now, I was back in the modern world, trying to readjust. There was just one little problem: my powers weren't working and an 'end of the world' prophecy was trust onto my shoulders. Needless to say, life was much better as tree.

"Thalia, I trust you are well?"

My mentor and also half man, half horse creature trotted out onto to the porch, breaking me out my background narrative. Chiron was a centaur, the activities director, and trainer of all the legendary Greek heroes. But most importantly, his horse half was an off-white color.

"I've had better days," I admitted. "Look...I need some...help." I nearly choked on the words but as far as anyone knew, I was the oldest child of the Big Three and now was not the time to be the weakest link.

"Oh?" Chiron seemed surprised, a hint of understanding in his brown eyes.

"I don't know what's happening to me," I confessed, shifting the weight in my feet. "Ever since I've been back, my powers have been declining. Rapidly. I mean, I used to be able to summon bolts of lightning without breaking a sweat and now..." I extended my palm and summoned all the electricity I could muster. A tiny spark flew about half a foot forward and I was somewhat impressed-that was more power than I was able to muster in the past week. Maybe I didn't need Chiron's help after all.

"Oh dear, I see your conundrum." The centaur muttered. "What to do...what to do?"

Chiron began to pace-or trot, rather-which only increased my heart rate. If Chiron didn't know what to do, no one would.

"I've got it!" He exclaimed, turning to me excitedly. "Recently, I spoke to Percy Jackson-you know, the son of Po-"

"Poseidon and Kronos, ally of the gods, and reckless idiot? Yeah, I know of him."

"I assume you two are good friends."

"Best friends." I corrected him.

"Anyhow, after he came back from his quest to save Grover and obtain the fleece which restored your life, he mentioned experiencing a uh...power spasm, if you will."

I leaned in, intrigued. "Go on."

"Percy and his father, Lord Poseidon, were feuding and somehow, his powers stopped working. It wasn't until he reconciled with his father that his powers were restored."

"I'm not feuding with Zeus, though." I frowned, scrunching my eyebrows. "Am I?"

"I doubt it. Most likely your powers are simply in need of practice. Powers are known to be stationary after little to no use." Chiron informed me. "Perhaps you should ask Percy for his assistance."

I nearly laughed in my mentor's face. If my survival didn't depend on remaining within the safe borders of Camp, I would've put as much distance between me and Percy Jackson as humanly possible. Instead, I kept my cool.

"He's leaving for the summer-he told me yesterday."

"He does tend to stray often." Chiron admitted. "Regardless, he may not leave for another week or two. That should be enough time."

"Alright." I agreed reluctantly. The centaur shot me an apologetic look before disappearing into the big house. With no other option, I dragged myself to the Poseidon cabin. I walked up to the door and knocked, straightening out my shirt.

Heavy footsteps came from the other side, and then the door was swinging open and I was staring at a very broad, tan well-muscled chest. A naked chest. My gaze dropped and my breath sort of...stalled. Jeans hung low on his hips, revealing a thin line of dark hair that formed below his naval and disappeared under the band of the jeans. His stomach was ripped. Perfect. Totally touchable. Not the kind of stomach I expected on a fifteen year old boy but I wasn't complaining. I also wasn't talking. I was staring. My gaze finally ventured north and I noted thick, sooty lashes fanning the tips of his high cheeks and hiding the color of his eyes as he looked down at me.

"Can I help you?" Full, kissable lips turned down in annoyance.

Although I'd spoken to him before, Percy's voice was deeper and firmer than usual. The kind of voice accustomed to people obeying his every command. His lashes lifted, revealing eyes so golden and brilliant they couldn't be real. They were an intense amber color that stood out in vibrant contrast against his tan skin.

"Hello?" he asked, placing one hand on the door frame as he leaned forward. "Are you capable of speaking?"

I sucked in a sharp breath, a wave of embarrassment heated my face.

Percy lifted an arm, brushing back a wavy lock of hair on his forehead. "Going once..."

By the time I found my voice, I wanted to die. "I...I need your help. My powers are whacked and Chiron said you went through the same thing so you were the person to ask for help."

Percy said nothing at first, just cocked a brow with disdain. "Fine."

The embarrassment was fading, replaced by a growing surge of anger. "I thought you had other plans for the summer."

"I did and now, I don't." Something glittered in his golden eyes. Not anger but something else.

"So you _can_ help me?" I repeated, confirming the plan.

"I _just_ said I would so I will. Keep up, Thalia. It's not that complicated." Both eyebrows were raised to his hairline now as if he were questioning how I could be so dumb, and that's when I realized what I saw sparkling in his eyes. He was laughing at me with a dose of condescension. For a moment all I could do was stare at him. He was twice as hot shirtless and perhaps the hottest guy I'd ever seen in real life, and he was total douche. Go figure.

"All I wanted was some help but you don't seem very helpful. This is obviously a bad time."

"Anytime is a bad time for you to come knocking at my door, kid."

"Kid?" I repeated, eyes widening.

A dark, mocking eyebrow arched again. I was starting to hate that brow.

"I'm not a kid. I'm almost sixteen."

"Is that so?"

I didn't like his mocking tone. A warmth burned in my chest, spreading to my throat. "You know what, I'm done with you. I won't be knocking on your door again. Trust me." I started to turn, leaving before I caved to the rampant desire to slam my fists into his face.

"Hey," he called out. "I can help you out with your powers."

"Thanks," I muttered and added underneath my breath, "Douchebag."

He laughed, deep and throaty. "Now that's not very lady like, Sweetheart."

I whipped around. "Don't ever call me that," I snapped.

"It's better than calling someone a douchebag, isn't it?" He pushed out the door. "This has been a stimulating visit. I'll cherish it for a long time to come."

"You know, you're right. How wrong of me to call you a douchebag. It's too nice of a word to describe you," I said, smiling sweetly. "You're a dickhead."

"How charming."

I flipped him off.

"So when do we start, Pupil?"

"Don't call me that." I crossed my arms, looking at him steely in the eyes. They were golden, holding a hint a mystery to them. "Why are you helping me anyway? What's in it for you?"

"I'm hurt that you would assume I have ulterior motives." Percy clutched his heart, feigning pain. "If you must know, I figure I should help you because you are the oldest known child of the Big Three which means you means you get to kill Kronos. I figured if I can't do it myself, I might as well provide an assist."

I sighed. Percy had this strange death wish that came in the form of wanting to assassinate the king of all Titans. Fortunately for me, I get to at least attempt to carry out that desire provided that I manage to survive until I turn sixteen.

"Besides, I know how much it sucks to be powerless." He said quietly.

"Alright, fine. How's this evening? Zeus' fist?"

"Fine."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Percy Jackson." I smiled tightly before turning around.

"Same to you, Thalia Grace."

I frowned at the use of my last name and quickly spun around. Percy was gone.

Shivering, I turned back around. My last name had a lot of history behind it and I wasn't particularly fond of using it. I certainty wasn't throwing it around so how would he know it? I wasn't angry, just curious.

Despite being thrown off course by the son of Kronos and Poseidon, I managed to pull through the rest of the morning. I had just come back from archery class when my best friend, Annabeth, approached me, a book in her hands.

"Hey nerd," I greeted. "What book are you reading now?"

Annabeth chuckled, showing me the book cover. "Perry Johnson and the Olympics by Nick Riordam. It's based on Greek mythology and even has demigods in it. It features Perry Johnson, a brave but idiotic son of Poseidon. Annie Bell, an intelligent daughter of Athena. And Gunther, a reed pipe obsessed satyr. I'm on the first book."

"Sound fake. I'd hate to be in that series."

Annabeth shrugged, changing the subject. "Did you get help from Chiron as I suggested?"

"Yeah and now I have to work with Percy to get my powers back. Yay me."

My friend frowned for a minute then nodded, understanding. "He also went through power spasm of some sort."

"He wasn't very...helpful, at first."

"Yeah, he can be moody at times."

 _No shit._ "I'm pretty sure that was more than being moody. I think he hates me."

Annabeth shook her head, her blonde curls moving in the sunlight. "Percy's kind of rough around the edges. Even I want to kill him on days that end with Y. He doesn't get along with...people."

I laughed. "You think?"

Before she could reply, a camper ran up to do us, smiling. My first impression of the girl was that she was beautiful. Her dark hair was curly and much longer than mine, reaching her waist. She was tall, thin and her almost perfect features held a certain innocence.

"Hey Annabeth, Hey Thalia."

"Hi Silena, how's Beckendorf?" Annabeth greeted the girl. "I know he was roughed up a bit during the last capture the flag game."

"He's doing much better, thanks for asking." The girl turned to me, curiosity in her eyes.

Oh boy. Here comes yet another question.

"Sooo Thalia, I'm glad you're back. You've been the talk of the town-or camp, rather."

"That's good know." I replied. Even in a world full of monsters and teenagers with various powers, somehow I-a former tree-was somewhat still fascinating.

"So were you like, alive as a tree? Could you see people?"

"I've actually wondered the same thing, Silena. Tell us, Thalia." Annabeth looked at me expectantly.

"Well I couldn't exactly see, per say." I started. "I felt different auras every time someone passed through camp. For example, you're probably a daughter of Aphrodite, right?"

Silena nodded, confirming her godly parent. I figured-I smelled Taylor Swfit's perfume, Wonderstruck before she even came into view.

"Aphrodite children tend to have a warm and soft aura, it felt like lying in bed after just taking the sheets out of the dryer. Children of Athena had commanding and disciplined aura, that kind that makes you want to sit up straight in chair and be all proper."

"Wow, that's incredible." Silena looked awe struck then smiled sheepishly. "Well, I should let you guys get to class. I'll see you guys around!"

Annabeth and I waved goodbye as the girl went spiriting off, probably late for her class.

"Sit up straight and be proper?" Annabeth retorted, shaking her head at me.

"I'm dead serious. Athena kids seem like the kind of people to invite you to a dinner then have two spoons and two forks for different meals."

"First off, there should be three forks. One for salad, one for for fish, and one for meat. Everyone knows that." Annabeth began ticking off the utensils by using her fingers as tally marks. "Second of all, the two spoons serve different purposes. One is for soup and the other for desert. Thirdly, it's all about placement. The three forks should be on the left hand side and the three knives and soup spoon should be on the right. The desert spoon should be proportional to the plate."

"Three knives?"

"Yes-one for salad, one for fish, and one for meat. Please try and keep up here, Thalia." I felt Annabeth's gray eyes judge me. "And stand up straight, slouching is bad for your poster."

I straightened my spine, shaking my head. Once again, my point had been proven.

The daughter of Athena began walking away, muttering something about the aura description being false. As she ran off to her next class, I went to my sword training class. After class, I wanted to stay and talk but my schedule was quite busy that day, so I decided to get a move on it. I scurried off to my Gardening class, not wanting to disappoint the nymphs by being late. When I approached the strawberry fields, I noticed that Annabeth was there, talking to Juniper. Juniper was a dryad-a wood nymph. For the most part, Juniper stayed within in her tree, near Zeus' fist but occasionally she came out to help garden or visit Grover-the satyr that was assigned to guide me to camp six years ago.

The three of us talked for a while before Juniper was whisked away by one of her cousins, another nymph. For the most part, the class compromised of Demeter students which was to be expected, considering that their mother was the goddess of harvest and agriculture. A few curious souls used their free period and joined the class like Annabeth and Malcolm-both children of the wisdom goddess, Athena. When class started, Annabeth and I were asked to bring out the bags of soil from the stables. Before getting the bags, we made a quick pit stop by my cabin and found a hair tie for Katie Gardner, a daughter of Demeter. We'd only been inside ten minutes tops, but when we went to stables, all the bags of soil and mulch were gone.

Figuring that the group got impatient and sent someone else to fetch it, we went back down to the strawberry fields. Sure enough, the bags were there and the class had already begun working on their flower beds. I shrugged and we walked over to the flowerbed that Annabeth and I shared.

Katie Gardner ran up to us, out of breath. "Hair tie?" She asked, sweat framing her face.

"Here you go." Annabeth handed her the piece of elastic.

The girl took it gratefully and began pulling her hair into a high pony tail. As she did so, I pointed to the bags of mulch. "Who brought that up here?"

Katie shrugged. "I thought you guys did. I didn't actually see who brought them but I assumed you guys did since you were asked to. We were standing there, waiting for you guys then the bags appeared. I felt like I was looking a specific spot for a long time then they just appeared. When I looked up, you guys were coming down the hill."

After Katie left, I glanced at Annabeth. "How did they get over here?"

Dropping down on her knees, she starting pulling out the weeds. "Probably Percy-it seems like he stopped time and brought the bags down."

"Percy?" I repeated, dumbfounded. For crying out loud, the guy was an assassin-helping out wasn't in his job description.

Annabeth nodded. "He can be nice when he wants to be."

"You got that right." I snorted.

For the next half hour, Annabeth and I attacked the weeds with more energy that I thought we would. I never knew that pulling weeds was a good way to let off steam. After we got the weeds out, Annabeth dragged over a rake to dig up the old mulch.

"This is fun," She commented. "It's relaxing."

"It is. I don't think when I'm doing stuff like this."

"Huh." The daughter of Athena started raking the faded mulch out of the flower bed. "So you do it to avoid thinking?"

I ripped open a bag of mulch, not sure how to answer that question. "My mom...we made a garden in our old apartment's balcony. She wasn't the best mother at times but I felt like she only loved me when we were doing her favorite activity, gardening."

Before Annabeth could reply, a figure walked down the hill, heading in our direction.

As the figure got closer, I groaned. "I was having such a good time."

Annabeth twisted around, nodding to the approaching figure. "His morning nap must be over."

"Morning nap? It's almost one o'clock." I commented, looking over him. Percy looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. His jeans were rumpled, hair tousled and all over the place. And he was shirtless.

"Doesn't he own a shirt?" I asked, grabbing a spade.

"Unfortunately, I don't think so." Annabeth groaned, "He's like a brother to me. It's disturbing that I have to see so much of his...skin. Yuck."

Yuck for her and hot damn for me. I started digging more holes. My throat felt dry. Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Atrocious attitude.

Percy took his sweet time walking down the hill. His impending presence had a swamping effect. Most of the girls focused on their work, occasionally looking up distractedly. For me, there was no ignoring him, not even when I had my back to him-I could feel him watching. My shoulder blades tingled under his heavy stare. Once I glanced over, he was gone, only to return minutes later with a shirt on. Damn. I kind of missed the view.

I was patting down new soil when Percy swaggered over, dropping a heavy arm over Annabeth's shoulder. She tried to wiggle free, but he held her close. "Hey, Wisegirl."

The daughter of Athena rolled her eyes, grinning. "Hey yourself. Thanks for moving the bags for us."

"Wasn't me."

Annabeth pushed his shoulder playfully. "Whatever, butthead."

"That's not nice." He pulled her closer, smiling-really smiling, and it was a nice look on him. He should try it more often. Then Percy glanced over at me and his eyes narrowed, as if he just realized I was there. The smile was completely gone. "What are you doing?"

I gestured to the surrounding area. It seemed pretty obvious considering I was covered with dirt and there were several plants scattered around me. "I'm fixing-"

"I wasn't asking you." He turned to Annabeth. "What are _you_ doing? This is your free period, you're usually reading in your cabin at this time."

I wasn't going to let him get to me. I shrugged, picking up a potted plant.

"I'm helping her with the flower bed. Be nice." Annabeth punched him in the stomach before squirming free. "Look at what we've done. I now have a hidden talent."

Percy turned his eyes on my landscaping masterpiece. I was quite proud of it. I knew exactly where to place plants that needed more sun and ones that thrived in shadows. There was a layered effect, taller and leafy, sturdier plants in the back and flowers in the front. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was a child of Demeter. Hell, with my handiwork I'd think I was Demeter herself.

Percy arched a brow,

My insides tightened. "What?"

He shrugged. "It's okay. I guess."

" _Okay_?" Annabeth sounded as offended as I felt. "It's better than _okay._ We rocked this. Well, Thalia rocked it. I just handed her stuff."

"Is this what you do with your free period?" He asked me, ignoring Annabeth.

"What-are you deciding to talk to _me_ now?" Smiling tightly, I grabbed a handful of mulch and dumped it. "Yeah, it's kind of a hobby. What's yours? Kicking kittens?"

"I'm not sure I should say in front of you two virtuous ladies." He replied, his expression turning wolfish.

"Ew." Annabeth made a gagging motion.

The images I got then were totally R-rated, and I could tell by his smug expression he knew it. I grabbed more mulch.

"But it's not nearly as lame as this," He added.

I froze, pieces of red cedar floating from my fingers. "Oh? And why is this lame?"

His look said _do I really need to explain_? Sure, gardening wasn't the height of coolness. I knew that. But it wasn't lame. Because I liked Annabeth and didn't want to ruin our friendship by trash talking her best friend, I clamped my mouth shut and started spreading the mulch out.

Annabeth pushed him, but Percy barely wavered. "Don't be a jerk, Seaweed Brain."

"I'm not being a jerk."

I raised my eyebrows.

"What's that?" Percy asked. "You have something to say, _Sweetheart_?"

"Other than I'd like for you to never call me _Sweetheart?_ No." I smoothed the mulch, then stood, admiring our work. Casting Annabeth a look, I grinned. "I think we did good."

"We did great, lameness and all. And you know what? I kind of like being lame."

Percy stared at the freshly planted flowers, almost like he were dissecting them for a science experiment.

"Oh! Percy has a great spot outside his cabin for a flowerbed. We could get a small flower be-"

"She's not welcome in my cabin," Percy snapped, turning to his best friend. "Seriously."

Insulted by the venom in his words, I took a step forward and my hand flew to my bracelet, ready to unleash Aegis, my shield decorated with the head of Medusa. Annabeth panicked slightly when she saw the bracelet and knew the terrifying power that shield had.

"I was thinking we could work on the flower bed, which is _outside_ -not inside-the last time I checked."

"Don't care. I don't want her over there."

"Percy, don't do this. Thalia's my friend."

"And you have other friends. _Better_ friends."

"It's not the same, Thalia's been with me since day one." Annabeth snapped.

Percy glanced over at me, trying to decide whether to lose a friendship over a plebeian like me. His lip curled and if I still held the spade, I would've chucked it at his head. "You have better friends, Annabeth." Percy repeated. "You don't need to be friends with someone...someone like _her._ "

I'd kept quiet up to that point because I didn't want to say anything to upset Annabeth. Dickhead was her best friend, after all, but that- _that_ was going overboard.

"What do you mean, someone like me?"

The son of Kronos and Poseidon tilted his head to the side and let out a long breath.

Annabeth's eyes darted from him to me nervously. "He didn't mean anything by it."

"Bullshit." He said.

My hands were clenched into fists. "What the hell is your problem, anyway?"

Percy faced me. There was a strange look on his face. "You."

" _I'm_ your problem?" I took a step forward. "I don't even know you. And you don't know me."

A muscle popped in his jaw. "I don't need to get to know you. Or want to."

I threw my hands up, frustrated. "That works just fine for me, buddy, because I don't want to get to know you either."

"Percy," Annabeth hissed, grabbing his arms. "Knock it off."

He smirked as he watched me. "I don't like that you're friends with Annabeth."

I said the first thing that came to my mind, this guy got under my skin like no other. "And I don't give two shits what you like."

Percy stared me down, towering over me. The intensity in his eyes sent shivers down my spine.

"Listen closely," he said, taking a step forward. I-involuntarily-took one back, and he forced me back until my back bit into one of the tall trees. Percy bent his head down, his unnatural gold eyes filling my vision. Heat rolled off his body. "I'm going to tell you this once. You're a child of the Big Three, not to mention the oldest known child of the prophecy. Everything about you screams danger. If Annabeth gets caught in the cross hairs, gods so help me-" He stopped, taking a deep breath as his gaze dropped down to my parted lips.

My breath caught. Something flickered in his eyes, but they narrowed again, hiding whatever had been there. The images were back. The two of us. Hot and sweaty. I bit my lip and tried to make to my expression blank, but yet again I knew he could tell what I was thinking when his expression turned annoyingly smug. Beyond annoying.

"You're kind of dirty, sweetheart."

I blinked. Deny. Deny. Deny. "Excuse me?"

"Dirty," He repeated. "You're covered in dirt. What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing," I said, wishing he'd back the hell up. "I'm gardening. You get dirty when you do that."

His lips twitched. "The are a lot more fun ways to get...dirty. Not that I'd ever show _you."_

I had a feeling he knew each way intimately. A flush spread over my cheeks, down my throat. "I'd rather roll around in manure than any thing _you_ might sleep in."

Percy arched a brow then spun around. "I need to talk to Chiron."

I stayed against the tree, eyes wide and unmoving until he disappeared beyond the hill. I swallowed, looking at at a distraught Annabeth.

"Alright," I said. "That was intense."

Annabeth rubbed her temples, shooting me an apologetic look. "Look, I love Percy but he's a dick. I know he is. He hasn't always been this bad though. Something's gotten into him lately."

Speechless, I stared at her. My heart was still racing, pumping blood way too fast. I wasn't sure if it was fear or adrenaline that was making me dizzy when I finally pulled away from the tree and approached her. And if I wasn't afraid, I kind of wondered if I should be.

"I'm so, so sorry. He's over protective because he lost someone he loved a long time ago. I'm the only person he's a long lasting relationship with so he's a little on edge."

"I get that, but it's not like I'm some creep trying to molest you." My hands were shaking, and even though he was gone, I could still _feel_ him-the heat he'd thrown off. It had been...exciting. A feeling I hadn't felt in a while, even before I was turned into a tree.

A grin peeked through. "I know, but he worries a lot. He'll calm down, once he gets to know you."

I doubted that.

"Be honest-he's run you off, hasn't he?" She stepped forward, brows furrowed. "Gods, I'm going to kill him."

"I'll help you." I offered then sighed. "No. It's fine, Annabeth. He didn't run me off-he won't."

The blonde looked so relieved I thought she'd collapse. "Good. I've go to run but I'll fix this. I promise."

"There's nothing to fix. He's not your problem."

"He kind of is. Talk to you later, okay?"

Nodding, I watched her head back to the Athena cabin. I grabbed the empty bags. What the hell was that about? Never in my life had someone disliked me so strongly and I've come across monsters who wanted me dead for just existing.

Percy was hot, but he was a world class jerk. And I'd meant what I said to Annabeth. He wasn't going to scare me off. He'd just have to deal with me because I was here to stay. Needless to say, this evening was going to be interesting.

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 **A/N-If you guys have any questions that have to do with my updating schedule or the future of this series, please go to my profile first and if your question isn't answered, feel free to PM me. Feel free to PM or review any questions and I'll try my best to answer them. Also if you have the time, I have a poll up on my profile-it's just for research purposes. It asks how you pick a fic-do you filter by pairing or genre? I'm just curious. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next update.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N-Hey guys! I hope you guys are doing well and here's another update!**

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 **"Sorry I'm late, I didn't want to come."** Percy emerged, the sun beginning to set.

I jumped. Percy stood a few feet away from Zeus' fist, hands in the front pocket of his faded jeans. His gold eyes illuminated the darkness.

His sudden appearance had startled me. I hadn't even heard him. And hey, he had a shirt on. I wasn't sure if I should be grateful or disappointed. Mouth aside, he was drool-worthy. I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable verbal smack down. He wasn't smiling, but at least he didn't look like he wanted to kill me this time. If anything, his expression took on a mask of grudging acceptance.

"I thought you would've left by now." Percy commented, flashing a half grin at me. "Anyway, I'm glad you're still here. I think I'm supposed to apologize."

"You _think_ you're supposed to?"

"Yeah, according to Annabeth I needed to get my ass over here and make nice."

I scoffed. "Well, apologizing and not meaning it kind of defeats the purpose the purpose of apologizing."

"True," he dragged the word out. "Actually, I don't have a choice. I have to make nice."

"You don't seem like a person who does anything he doesn't want to do."

"Neither do you." Percy took a step forward. "But Annabeth said she wouldn't talk to me until I play nice."

I tried to stop it, but I laughed. "She's giving you the silent treatment?"

He scowled, standing by my side. "It's not funny."

"You're right," I laughed. "It's freaking hilarious."

Percy shot me a dirty look.

I folded my arms, smirking. "I'm sorry, though. I'm not accepting your not-so-sincere apology. You may never speak to Annabeth again."

"Well, damn, there went my plan." A begrudging smile toyed with the corner of his mouth. "I figured that at least showing up would sweeten the deal."

"Late. You showed up an hour and half late."

"I told you, I didn't want to come."

"Wow," I breathed, annoyed, "Are you normally this warm and sparkly?"

"Always. Do you usually stare at guys when you stop over, asking for a favor?"

"Do you always answer the door half-naked?"

"Always." Percy tilted his head. "You didn't answer my question. Do you always stare?"

Heat infused my cheeks. "I was _not_ staring."

"Really?" he asked. That half grin was back, taunting me. "Anyway, you woke me up. I'm not a morning person."

"It wasn't that early," I pointed out.

"I sleep in, don't you?"

I tucked back a strand of hair behind my ear. "No. I always get up early."

"You sound just like Annabeth." He groaned. "No wonder why you two are friends."

"Annabeth has taste...unlike some people," I said. His lips twitched. "So if you're only over here to earn brownie points for talking to me then you can leave."

"I'm here because you asked me to help out with your powers." Percy said.

"Well it's much too late to do anything now. I can barely see. We can do this tomorrow or something." I began to walk away but Percy stepped in front of me, his golden eyes more piercing in the moonlight. I couldn't stop staring at his mouth when he spoke. I bet he knew how to kiss. Perfect kisses too, the ones that curled toes. I really needed to stop looking at him.

"My behavior today was less than stellar. I've never really taken well to strangers." Percy admitted, his voice low.

"I had a dog once that didn't take well to strangers."

Percy stared at me for a moment, then laughed. It was a deep, rumbling sound. Nice and sexy. Oh gods, I looked away. He was the kind of boy that broke hearts. He was trouble. Maybe the fun kind of trouble, but he was a total jerk. And I didn't do jerks.

"Anyway, I'm taking you swimming tomorrow. We'll work on your powers and if I play nice, Annabeth will talk to me again."

He had to be kidding, but the longer I stared at him, I realized he was being serious. My mouth dropped open. "So you'll get Annabeth to talk to you by taking me swimming and being nice to me?"

"Wow. You're a quick one."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, have fun not speaking to her again."

"Why?" Genuine surprise shone on his face.

"Because I'm not going anywhere with you."

"We don't have a choice." He insisted.

"No. _You_ don't have a choice. I'll find another way to get my powers. A way that doesn't involve you."

Percy watched me for a moment, and then he grinned. "You don't want to hang out with me?"

"Uh, no."

"Why not?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For starters, Percy-you're a jerk."

"That's true." He nodded, agreeing.

"And I'm not spending time with a guy who's being forced to do it. I'm not desperate."

"You're not?"

Anger whipped through me, and I took a step forward. "Screw you, Percy. I'm leaving."

Percy shot his hands out in front of me, like he was trying to stop me. I scoffed and moved to take a step forward. Except I couldn't.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Oh sorry," he muttered, waving his left hand. "I'm, uh, still getting the hang of this."

I craned my neck, able to move my head but not my body. "What did you do to me?"

"Froze you." He answered simply. "Because unlike you, my powers work."

"Let me go." I was highly creeped out by his golden eyes, they seemed to become more intense as he used his powers.

He seemed to consider it. "No."

"What?" I sputtered. "What do you mean no?"

"I'm not unfreezing you until you agree to go swimming with me."

At this point, steam seemed to be coming out of my ears. "Fine. I'll stay frozen because I'd rather eat glass than spend time with you."

"Sounds drastic."

"Not nearly," I shot back. "I stood in same spot for six years and I can do it again."

I scowled at him and he smiled at me, as innocent as an angel. "We can be all night, Thalia. Hell, all week. Either get it over with tomorrow, work on getting your powers back and be done with me, or we can be here all night. Your choice."

"You _can't_ be serious."

"Oh, Sweetheart, I am."

"Just tell Annabeth that we went and that I had a great time. Just lie."

"She'll know if I'm lying." He paused. "Or are you too shy to go swimming with me? Does the idea of getting almost naked around me make you uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm not a big fan of water. Daughter of Zeus and all."

"You know nothing's going to happen when I'm there." Percy got closer, hands still in front of him. "So what are you _actually_ afraid of? _"_

"I don't like you." As Percy got close, his hands seemed to hum around my skin. It was an unsettling feeling. "Let go of me."

"I'm not leaving, Sweetheart. You're going to do this."

After a moment, I growled. "Fine. You win."

Grinning, Percy lowered his hands. "I'll pick you up at noon, Sweetheart."

When his hands fell to his sides, I felt the release. It felt like finally releasing a long held breath. "I hate you."

"Feeling's mutual." Percy ran a hand through his hair. "I'll bet you'll wear a one-piece suit."

"Gods, I can't stand you."

* * *

When the first cracks of light came through the windows, I rolled onto my side, groaning.

I had to hang out with Percy today. Not to mention, I'd tossed and turned all night, dreaming about a boy with stunning golden eyes and a bikini that kept coming undone. Reluctantly, I threw off the covers and headed to the shower.

A few minutes later, I was standing in a towel and staring at my swim wear options. Horror filled me. Percy had been right. The idea of being half naked around him did make my stomach churn. Even though I couldn't stand him, and I actually think he might be the first person I ever hated, he was...he was _a god._ Who knew the kind of girls he was used to seeing in bathing suits. Considering that he was a son of Poseidon, he was probably used to seeing beautiful mermaids and gorgeous water nymphs. Even though I wouldn't touch him with a stick for all the money in the world, I was humble enough to admit there was a part of me that wanted him to _want_ me.

I only had three bathing suits: A two piece that piece that was a bikini top and shorts, a razorback one-piece, and a red two piece bikini.

I could have chosen a tent and I'd still feel uncomfortable.

Throwing the one-piece back into the closet, I held up the other two. My reflection stared back at me, a suit on each side, and I took a long look at myself. My black hair begun to grow to about shoulder length, considerably longer than I preferred. My eyes were a sharp blue, not like a huskies but not dull blue either. I glanced at the red suit. It was anything but cautious. It was flirty, sexy. Something that I was not used to being, and, well, that bothered me. What had Percy said yesterday? That I was a kid?

A red hot feeling sparked inside of me.

Screw him.

I was exciting and bold. Maybe I wanted to shock Percy, prove him wrong. I threw the plain suit across the cabin and laid the red one on my small desk.

My decision was made.

I put on the tiny scraps in record time, and a pair of denim shorts and a tank top version of the camp half blood shirt to hide my scandalous figure. I headed out the door, going to breakfast. After breakfast, I went back to my cabin, finishing up some latin translations due the next day. Suddenly, the door knocked and I jumped. My heart was beating fast as I looked at the time.

11:45 a.m.

After taking a small breath, I went to open the door. Percy stood, a water bottle in hand.

"I'm wee bit early."

"I see that," I replied, voice flat. "Change your mind? You could always try lying."

He arched a brow. "I'm not a liar."

"Well you're an assassin so I figured lying would be a small sin to you, but my bad, I forgot you have virtues." He stared me, a small smile playing on his lips. I rolled my eyes, "Give me a second to grab my stuff." I swung the door shut in face. It was childish, but it was a small victory. I grabbed my sneakers and stuff before returning and opening the door again. Percy was right there and he started walking away as I closed the door. After passing the creek and the beach, I frowned. My curiosity stemmed when we entered a dense tree line.

"Are you taking me out to the woods as a trick?" I asked, half serious.

He glanced over his shoulder. "And what would I do to you out here, Sweetheart?"

I shivered. "Kill me. I don't have my powers and if you did, you'd be the child of the prophecy."

"Slow down there, Thalia. You wouldn't want me to get any ideas, now would you?" A small smile tugged his lips. "Here's the thing about killing you: If I do that, I lose my alliance with the Olympians and as much as I hate to admit it, I need them."

"So you've thought about it? Killing me?" I asked, part of me not wanting to know the answer.

"It's crossed my mind once or twice, if that's what you mean." He made his around the thick brush and vines on the wood's floor. "Besides, Annabeth would hate me."

"And you know-there's the small fact that I'm a human being who has a right live but who cares, right?" I replied sarcastically, part of me wondering why I still continued to follow him further into the woods. "Speaking of her, can we pretend we did this?"

"Trust me, I'd rather watch paint dry for an eternity than spend one hour with you of all people." He jumped over a log. "But complaining about it isn't going to make it any easier."

Turning around, Percy offered me his hand.

"You're such a ray of sunshine." I briefly considering slapping it away, but I placed my hand in his. Static passed from my skin to his. Percy helped me over the downed tree before promptly dropping my hand. "Thanks."

Percy looked away and continued walking. "We only have a little bit more to go. It's fairly hidden."

"Okay." We continued walking in silence for a few minutes until I spotted a clearing beyond the trees.

"Welcome to my little piece of paradise."

I ignored him, walking into the clearing. I was stunned. "Wow. This place is beautiful."

"It is." He stood next me, one hand cupping his eyes against the glare from the sun bouncing off the smooth surface of the water.

I could tell that this place was special to him. Just knowing that kind of made my stomach flutter. I reached up and put my hand on his arm, and he turned to face me. "Thank you for bringing me."

Before Percy could open his mouth and ruin the moment, I dropped my hand and looked away. The small, natural lake looked peaceful. It rippled in the soft breeze. Rocks erupted from the middle, flat and smooth looking. Somehow, the land had been cleared in a perfect circle around the water. Large patches of flat, grassy land and wildflowers blossomed in the full sun. I went to the water's edge. "How deep is it?"

"About ten feet for the most part, twenty feet on the other side of the rocks." He was right behind me, doing that creepy, quiet walking thing. "Why do you garden?"

"What?"

"Why do you garden?" he asked again, staring at the lake. "Annabeth said you do it so you don't think. What do you want to avoid thinking about?"

"What is this-caring and sharing time? It's none of your business."

"Then let's go swimming."

Swimming was the last thing I wanted to do. Drowning him? Sure.

Percy kicked off his sneakers and took off his jeans. Underneath, he sported swim trunks. Then he whipped his shirt off in one quick motion.

 _Dayam._

I'd seen him half naked before but I couldn't help it. He had a great build, not too big but more muscles than any boy his age should have. Percy moved with a fluid grace to the water, his muscles flexing and stretching with every step.

I wasn't sure how long I stood staring before he finally dove into the water. My cheeks were warm. I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. I needed to get a grip. Or a camera to memorialize this moment, because I bet I could make money from a video of him. I could make a fortune...as long as he never opened his mouth. Percy broke through the surface, water glistened in his hair and on the tips of his lashes. His dark hair was slicked back, bringing more focus on his eerie golden eyes. "Are you coming in?"

Recalling the red bathing suit I'd decided to wear, I wished I could run away. My earlier confidence had evaporated. I took of my shoes with slow, deliberate movements, pretending to enjoy the surroundings while my heart casually threw itself against my ribs.

He stared at me for a while, curious. "You sure are shy, aren't you, Sweetheart?"

I stilled. "Why do you call me that?"

"Because I can," Percy chuckled, then pushed back farther, the water lapping at his chest. "So? Are you coming in?"

Good Gods, he wasn't going to turn around or anything. There was also a challenge to his stare, as if he expected me to chicken out. Maybe that's what he wanted-expected. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew he had an effect on girls. I wanted to prove to him I wasn't easily intimidated. I was determined to win this round.

Percy looked bored. "You have one minute to get in here."

"Or what?"

He moved closer to the bank of the lake. "Or I come and get you."

"I'd like to see you try that." I scowled, placing my hands on my hips.

"Thirty seconds." He watched me with an intense, piercing gaze as he drifted closer.

Rubbing my hand down my face, I sighed.

"Ten seconds." He taunted from an even shorter distance.

"Baby Zeus," I muttered, yanking my shirt off. I thought twice about throwing it at his head. I raced to shed my shorts when he called out the last taunting reminder.

I stepped toward the edge of the lake. "Happy?"

Percy lost his smile and stared. "I'm never happy around you."

"What did you say?" My eyes narrowed on his blank expression. He did _not_ just say what I thought he did.

"Nothing. You better get in before that blush reaches your toes."

I turned and walked toward the edge of the lake where the drop off wasn't steep. For the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid of the water. I dipped one toe, nodding. The water felt great, easing the uncomfortable heat prickling my skin.

"It's beautiful out here." I commented.

Percy watched me for a moment and then disappeared under the water. Thank the gods. When he submerged, water dripped down his face. Needing to cool my face off, I went under. The cold rush was invigorating, clearing my thoughts. Resurfacing, I pushed the long clumps of hair out of my face. Percy eyed me from a few feet away, his cheeks above the waterline and his breath blowing the occasional bubble to break the surface tension. Something in his gaze beckoned me closer.

"What?" I asked after a stretch of silence.

"Why don't you come here?"

Oh hell no. There was no way I was going near him. Not even if he dangled a cookie in his hand. Trust and his name didn't go together. I turned around, dipping under the water, heading for the rocks I'd seen in the middle of the lake. When I reached them, I pulled myself out of the water and onto the warm, hard surface. I started squeezing the water in the middle of the lake.

Percy threaded water in the middle of the lake. "You're not what I expected."

"What are you talking about now?" I asked, dangling my feet into the water.

"Nothing." He waded closer to me.

"You said something."

"I did, didn't I?"

"You're strange."

Another long moment passed. Percy swam over to the other side of the rocks then disappeared under the water once more. I leaned back and closed my eyes. The way the warmth of the sun fell against my upturned face, and the way the heat from the rock seeped through my skin, reminded me of a relaxing day at the beach. I could stay here all day, basking in the sun. Minus Percy, it would've been perfect. Pushing up, I expected to see him floating his back, but he had disappeared. I didn't see him anywhere. I stood up, careful of the sloping rock, and scanned the lake studying the twinkling surface for a mass of black, wavy hair. I made another turn on the rick as unease bubbled in my stomach. Did he leave me as a joke? I waited, thinking that this was normal for a son of Poseidon. He could probably breathe underwater. I leaned back, closing my eyes.

A few minutes later, I got back up, searching the calm surface for any sign of Percy, growing more frantic with each sweep of my eyes. He was fine, I tried to tell myself, this was his turf. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I scrambled across the rock and peered down into the still water.

Had he hurt himself somehow?

"Percy!" I screamed.

There was no response.

"Percy!"

A hundred thoughts raced through my head. How long had he been under? Where had I seen him last? How long would it take for me to get help? I didn't like Percy, and yeah, I might have considered the idea of drowning him, but I didn't really wish the guy dead.

"Oh my gods," I whispered. "This can't be happening."

I couldn't afford to think anymore. I had to do something. What had said about the water level on the other side of the rocks?

 _Twenty feet on the other side of the rocks._

My nerves were a wreck. I barely swam as it was and sure as hell didn't swim past ten feet. I took a small jump into the water, closing my eyes. Before I reached the water, a firm hand grasped my waist, pulling me back onto the rock. I felt a familiar rush of electricity surge through me and I whipped around, facing Percy.

He was smirking, clutching his hand slightly. "Thalia, you shocked me."

Surprise and relief rushed through me, followed by need to vomit. Snapping out of it I grabbed his slippery shoulders in an attempt to assure my queasy stomach he was alive. "Are you okay? What happened?" Then I smacked his arm. _Hard._ "Don't you ever do that again!"

Percy threw his hands up. "Whoa, what's your problem-I was swimming."

"You were underwater forever. I looked for you, called for you. I...I thought you were dead."

"I'm a son of Poseidon-I'm practically half fish. I can breathe underwater."

"I nearly jumped in after you!"

Percy's smirk faded and his eyes searched mine. "You were really worried, weren't you?"

"No shit!" I was shaking. "You know what? Peace out, tell Annabeth we had a grand time so we won't need a replay of today."

A smug smile was plastered across his face. "That's on you, Sweetheart. I'm sure she'll stop by your cabin and ask."

"I'm so leavi-" My foot slipped over the wet rock. Thrown off balance, my arms failed in the air and I began falling into the water.

Moving incredibly fast, Percy's hand shot out and grabbed mine, pulling me forward. The next thing I knew I was against his warm, wet chest and his arm around my waist.

"Careful there, Sweetheart. Annabeth would be pissed at me if you end up cracking your head open and drowning."

Understandable. She'd probably think he did it on purpose. I started to respond but couldn't. There wasn't much separating our skin in terms of clothing. My blood was pumping way too fast. A strange edginess swamped me as we stared at each other. the slight wind brushed along wet skin that wasn't pressed against one another, making the parts plastered together seem even hotter.

Neither of us spoke.

His chest rose and fell, the deep amber of his gold eyes shifting by degrees. It was a powerful, almost electric feeling that coursed through me-answering something in him?

Well, that was strange, foolish, and illogical. He hated me.

Percy moved one hand from my waist and tapped my shoulder gently. Instantly, I was dry and the same happened to him. Then he stepped back, releasing my waist.

He cleared his throat, voice low. "I think it's time we head back."

I nodded, disappointed and not even sure why I was disappointed. His mood swings made me feel as if I were on one of those crappy never ending tilt-a-whirls, yet...there was just something about him.

Percy stepped onto the water, walking onto top of it. He held out his hand and I accepted it, neither of us saying a word. After getting dressed, we started back to camp silently. It seemed neither of us had anything to say, which was actually nice. I liked him better when he'd lost the ability to speak. But when we reached the cabins, he cursed under his breath. I followed his troubled gaze. There was a misty image appearing in his cabin.

I tuned to face Percy but he was already walking into his cabin, the door smacking off the frame like a shot in a canyon. I stood there for a moment before entering my cabin, frowning.

I wasn't sure who was IM-ing Percy but I had a feeling he didn't want me knowing. I shivered involuntarily.

There was something seriously off about Percy Jackson.

* * *

 **3rd Person-**

Percy wanted to be angry at the boy but when he saw his face, he just couldn't.

"I wasn't expecting your call." Percy sighed, moving into view of the caller.

"I know but it's a bit of an emergency." The caller sighed, a grimace appearing on his face. "I can't find the child of Hecate that was supposed to do the potion."

"What?" Percy was on the balls of his feet. "We're totally screwed now-I'm going to turn into a full blown titan now!"

"You're exaggerating, Percy. Your godly side will subside and you're only going to be evil, essentially. You're not going to turn immortal anytime soon."

"Oh great-I have nothing to worry about now." Percy said sarcastically, throwing his hands up. "I hope you have a plan to fix this-after all, you're the one who contacted me for my help."

"And I'm not going to get your help unless you get this titan takeover under control, yes, I know." The caller sighed, exasperated. "I'll find some other way. I just need you to be a tad patient."

"Patient?" Percy scoffed. "Every morning I wake up in the middle of gods knows where with some dead animal carcass next to me. Next time, it might be an innocent mortal-what then? Would you still like me to be patient then?"

The caller winced. "You can fight it. You're a good person, Percy."

"No, I'm not and you know that more than anyone else." The son of Poseidon shook his head, looking at his caller.

"I know there's some good in you. I've seen it a few times." The caller murmured quietly.

"Well, you must've been dreaming," Percy jaw set and his hand moved to disconnect the IM. "Come back with tangible results next time or else, don't bother."

The caller nodded then swiped a hand over the screen, ending the IM.

Percy leaned against the wall, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He slumped to the floor, his heart threatening to burst. He was afraid of going to sleep. Afraid of himself and more importantly, afraid of what he could become.

* * *

 **A/N-Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys on Tuesday for the next update.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-Hey guys! By the way, the first five chapters are basically fillers. It's just building tension (a bit of romantic interest-next chapter) and the beginning of chapter five is when they go to Westover Hall. Just in case you're wondering and enjoy reading!**

* * *

 **Annabeth stopped by that night,** **and even though I wanted to tell her that my time with Percy wasn't all shits and giggles, I lied.** I told her that he was _great._ That she should break the silent treatment and send him a recording of her voice every night. I almost felt bad for lying when she sounded happy.

The next week crawled by. Annabeth and Lee were hanging out a lot more and were kind enough to include me but I wasn't feeling it. Left alone and bored out of my mind, I started practicing on my powers. I managed to consistently get a few sparks flying but wasn't able to create a storm or summon a bolt like before. It was early Saturday evening when Percy unexpectedly showed up at my door, hands shoved into the pocket of his jeans. His back was to me, head tipped back as he stared up at the cloudless blue sky. A few stars were starting to appear but the sun wouldn't set for another couple of hours. Surprised to see him, I walked outside. His head whipped down at my arrival.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Several seconds passed then his lip tipped up at one corner. He cleared his throat. "I like staring at the sky. There's just something about it." His gaze returned to the sky. "It's endless, you know."

Percy almost sounded deep. "Who was IM-ing you yesterday?"

He stared at me for a long moment, then jerked his chin towards the woods. "Wanna go on a hike?"

"I'm not too good at hiking."

A grin appeared. There was an edge to it. Rough. Sexy. "Just a harmless little trail. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Isn't Annabeth talking to you again?" I asked, suspicious.

"She is."

"Then why are you here?"

"I don't have a reason." Percy sighed. "I thought I would just stop by, but if you're going to question everything, then you can forget it."

I watched him turn to leave. I bit my lip. This was crazy but I'd been dying of boredom for days. Rolling my eyes, I called out, "Alright, let's blow this Popsicle stand."

"You sure?"

I agreed. "Lead the way."

We stopped off at Percy's to grab a couple of water bottles and then took off. We walked on in silence for a few minutes and then he said, "You're very trusting, Thalia."

"Are you giving me a reason to not trust you?"

"Not at all. Not many people trust a son of Kronos. It's...refreshing, Sweetheart."

"Stop calling me that." I said, trying to catch up to him.

He glanced over his shoulder. "No one has ever called you that before?"

I made my way around a large, prickly bush. "Yeah, people call me sweetheart or sweetie all the time. But you make it sound so..."

"Sound so what?" He asked, taunting me.

"I don't know, like it's an insult." He'd slowed, and now I was walking beside him. "Or something sexually deviant."

He turned his head away, laughing.

"Why are you always laughing at me?"

Shaking his head, he grinned down at me. "I don't know, you just kind of make me laugh."

"Whatever." I kicked small rock. "So you're not going to tell me who IM-ed you?"

"I don't know if I can trust you." He muttered.

I shook my head, bewildered. "Trust me with what? Your virtue?"

Percy barked out a laugh, and it took him a few moments to respond. "Yeah. I can't trust a beautiful girl who has the hots for me."

"What?" I tripped over an exposed root. Percy caught me easily, setting me back on my feet the minute was steady. The brief contact had my skin tingling through my clothes. His hands lingered on my waist only a few seconds before he dropped them. "You're joking, right?"

"Which part?" he asked.

"Any of that!"

"Oh, come on. Please don't tell me you don't think you're pretty." He considered my silence. "No guy has ever said you're pretty?"

He wasn't the first person to say something nice about me, but I guess I never cared before. One other person avoided that indifference but it no longer mattered now, he turned out to be a traitor. Looking away, I shrugged, "Of course."

"Or...maybe you're not aware of it?"

I shrugged again. I was more focused on denying the other part of his statement. I most definitely did not have the hots for this arrogant guy.

"You know what I've always believed?" he asked softly.

We were still standing in the path, only the sounds of a few birds echoed around us. "Do I care?" My voice drifted away in the slight breeze.

"I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect." His eyes searched mine intently, and for a moment we stood there toe to toe. "The ones who throw their beauty around, waste what they have? Their beauty is passing. It's just a shell hiding nothing but shadows and emptiness."

I did the most inappropriate thing possible. I laughed. "I'm sorry, but that was the most thoughtful thing I've ever heard you say. Did Kronos freeze me and take the Percy I know away and replace him with this one? If so, can I keep him?"

"I was being honest." Percy scowled.

"I know, but I just didn't know you had that in you." And here I was, ruining the nicest thing he would ever say to me.

He shrugged and began leading us down the trail again. "We won't go too far."

After a few minutes, I spoke. "Hey Percy?"

"Hmm?"

"How are you alive?" I blurted out. When he raised a brow, I started to restate my question. "I mean, you're half mortal, half god, and half titan. That shouldn't be possible."

"You know how Kronos was chopped into pieces by your dad right?"

I nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"Fifteen years ago, he still didn't have a physical form so he possessed Poseidon when he and my mom were having a well, rather intimate moment." Percy's eyes smoldered. "Poseidon tried to fight the possession and won a few times but after so many switch ups, I was conceived. Half Poseidon and Half Kronos."

"Did your mom tell you that?"

"She's been indisposed lately..." His eyes widened suddenly. "Sweetheart?"

"Would you stop calling me-?"

"Be quiet," he hissed, gaze fixed over my shoulder. He placed a hand on my arm. "Promise me you won't flip out."

"Why would I freak out?" I whispered.

Tugging me toward him, he caught me off guard. I placed my hands on his chest to stop from tumbling over. His chest seemed to...hum under my hands. "Have you ever seen a bear?"

"What? There's a bear-?" I pulled out of his grasp and spun around.

Oh sweet baby Zeus, there was a bear.

No more than fifteen feet away from us, a big bear, brown and furry, sniffed the air with its long whiskers muzzle. Its ears twitched at the sound of our breathing. The animal moved closer, stepping closer under the rays of light. The bear made a half bark, half growl as he rose onto his hind legs, standing at least five feet tall. The next sound was an honest-to-Gods roar that sent shiver through me.

Uh oh.

Percy moved his hands out in front of him to stop time but before he could, the bear rushed us.

I squeezed my eyes shut and summoned all the power I had within me. Even though my eyes were closed, a blinding flash of light pierced my thin eyelids. There was an accompanying blast of heat that blew my hair back. Then the flash came again, but darkness followed this time, swallowing me whole.

When I opened my eyes again, there was a strange sweet taste in mouth. Ambrosia, my brain seemed to tell me. It was the drink of the gods that also healed demigods. My skin seemed to vibrate and I knew the air surge with a fine current of electricity. I drew in a shallow breath, confused.

My shoulder was pressed against something warm and hard. Turning my head, I felt the object rise up sharply then slowly ease back down. It took me a second to realize it was a chest my cheek was pressed into. Percy and I were on the porch leading up to the Poseidon cabin, his arm around my waist keeping me securely pinned to his side. I didn't dare move.

Every inch of my body became aware of his. How his thigh was molded to mine. The deep, even breaths moving his stomach under my hand. How his hand curved around my waist, his thumb moving in idle, soothing circles at the hem of my shirt. Each circle inched the material up a little, exposing my skin until his thumb was against the curve of my waist. Flesh against flesh. I was hot and shivery. Suddenly, his hand stilled.

Pushing up, I looked into a pair of startling golden eyes. "What...what happened?"

"You used too much of your power and passed out." He answered, pulling his arm away from my waist.

"I did?" I moved back, putting distance between us as I brushed my tangled hair out of my face.

Percy nodded. "I had to carry you back."

"All the way?" Dammit. I missed that? "What happened to the bear?"

"Your lightning scared it. It ran off." Percy frowned as he watched me. "Are you feeling okay?"

Suddenly, I noticed how my clothes clung to my body. "Why am I wet?"

"Oh, you started a storm." Percy reached out and touched my clothes, drying them.

"You let me look like a drowned cat while I was unconscious?"

"You looked fine. Better than fine, actually." Percy smirked. "The wet look works for you."

I scowled. "Now I know you're lying."

The son of Poseidon and Kronos shifted beside me, and without a word, his fingers lifted my chin toward him. A crooked smile lifted his full lips. "I wouldn't lie about what I thought."

I wished I had something sarcastic to say, maybe a little flirty, but his intense stare sent my wit flying.

Confusion flashed in his eyes as he leaned forward, his lips parting slightly. "I think I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"I like to watch you blush." His voice barely a murmur as his thumb traced circles on my cheek.

He lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine. We sat like that, the two of us, caught in something that hadn't been there before. I think I stopped breathing. My heart seemed to take several stuttered steps and then freeze, anticipation welling through me, threatening to spill over at any moment. I didn't even _like_ him. He didn't like me. This was insane, but it was happened.

While as I was contemplating whether I'd lost my mind, Percy's crooked smile disappeared. His own eyes were confused and desperate, searching mine. Time seemed to slow, every second stretching out before me, tantalizing and torturing every breath I took. Waiting, wanting to show him whatever he was looking for. His face strained, as if he were waging an internal battle. Something in his eyes made me feel unsure. I knew the second he made up his mind. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I felt his breath against my cheek, slowing moving to my lips.

My brain screamed no, but my body stayed in place. I knew I should pull away. He was bad, bad news. His lips were so close to mine, I desperately wanted to meet him halfway, to test if his lips were as soft as they looked.

"Hey guys!" Annabeth called out.

Percy jerked back, sliding in one fluid movement and putting a healthy distance between us on the porch.

I sucked in a sharp breath, surprise and disappointment churning in my stomach. My body was still tingling, we'd been so absorbed in each other that static danced across my arms. Annabeth came up the steps, her smile fading as she looked from Percy to me. My face was blood red, making it obvious that she'd interrupted something. She only stared at her best friend, her lips forming into a O.

Percy grinned at her. "Hey, there, Annabeth. What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, eyes narrowing. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Nothing," he replied, a hand on his cabin door. He glanced at me over one shoulder. "Just earning some brownie points."

His words whipped through the pleasant haze and he went into his cabin.

"Was almost kissing me a part of the deal to get you to talk to him again?" My voice was tight.

Annabeth sat down on the porch. "No. That was never part of the deal." She blinked slowly. "Was he about to kiss you?"

"I think." I felt my cheeks burn even hotter.

"Wow," she murmured, her eyes wide. "That was unexpected."

After a long period of silence, Annabeth frowned. "What were you and Percy doing earlier...before the almost-kissing-part?"

"We went on a walk. That's it."

"That's odd," she continued, watching me closely. "I stopped the silent treatment."

"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way." My face scrunched. "There's nothing like a boy being blackmailed into hanging out with you to boost the self esteem."

"It wasn't like that, I swear!" Annabeth said, holding her hands out as a plea. "Sometimes, Percy needs...motivation to be nice."

"I can see why."

A curious look crossed her features, and then she smiled. "Did you guys have a good time?"

I shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "Yeah, he was actually pretty decent. I mean, he has his moments, but it wasn't all bad." I tapped my foot absentmindedly-stupid ADHD. "We saw a bear."

"A bear?" Annabeth's eyes widened. "Oh my gods, what happened?"

"I, uh, started a storm, I guess. One of the lightning strikes scared it off."

"So are your powers coming along?"

I held out my palm and caused static to dance along them. "I'd say so. I passed out though."

"Used too much power?" She guessed.

I nodded. "Yeah, Percy carried me back and well, the rest is whatever."

Eventually, the both of us headed back to our respective cabins. I pulled on my pajamas, still confused over Percy. He'd seemed likeable during our hike before flashing back to Super Douche. Flushing and frustrated, I flopped on the bed and stared at the bunk bed above me. My mind replayed the events leading up to the almost kiss. My stomach flipped thinking about how close his lips had been to mine. Worse yet was the knowledge that I had wanted him to kiss me.

I hoped to the gods that like and lust had nothing in common.

* * *

The next day, after breakfast, Annabeth and I went to class. Around fall, a new addition had been built across the ampitheather-a series of small classrooms, intending to teach campers life skills and due to the fact that the campers were of various ages-there were some from 5 to 21 years old-there weren't specifically grades but Chiron did manage to lump most teenagers in the same class.

In reality, the classes were intended for less powerful demigods like children of Aphrodite. Eventually they could leave camp and not be threatened by monsters but needed some degree of skill sets when they did. Thus, a few sets of classes were designed and everyone had to take them.

The class was somewhat full, about fifteen kids in total. Michael Yew, a son of Apollo, spoke to Annabeth and I when we first entered. Eventually, I was introduced to everyone in there and I began feeling quite comfortable. Shortly, Chiron strolled in and we all took our seats. I sat in the second row, behind Annabeth and across from Lee Fletcher. Most of the seats were filled except the one behind me and a few others in the very back row. The class was Ancient Greek, which we were all hardwired for reading since we were demigods but Chiron felt that we should be able to write in Greek as well.

The door opened, and Percy Jackson strolled in-late-with an easy smile on his full lips. Conversations practically ceased. Percy had a sort of rock star entrance with that deadly swagger. He had everyone's attention especially when he shifted his textbook from one hand to the other and then ran his fingers through the tousled waves of his thick hair, letting it fall back over his forehead. His jeans hung low on his hips, so when lifted his arm, he flashed a row of golden skin that somehow made ancient Greek all the more interesting.

A girl with reddish hair sighed next to me and said under her breath, "Gods what I wouldn't do for a piece of that. A Percy sandwich should be on the menu."

Another girl giggled. "I'll have two Percy sandwiches then."

I hastily averted my eyes to my notebook, but I still knew he'd taken the seat directly behind me. The entire length of my back tingled. A second later, I felt something poke my back. Biting my lower lip, I glanced over my shoulder. His smile was lopsided as he twirled a blue ball point pen in the air. "How was your night?"

"Slept like a baby." I replied, tucking my hair back. "And yours?"

His lips twitched and for a moment, I thought I saw fear in his eyes. Before I could decipher his expression, a lazy grin was plastered on his face. "Just peachy."

The two girls had stopped talking, watching Percy and me with opened stares. Percy leaned forward, his warm breath danced along my cheek when he spoke. "I don't suppose I starred in any of your dreams, Sweetheart?"

"Nightmares, Percy." I rolled my eyes. "Nightmares."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling, and I almost smiled back, but luckily Chiron starting calling roll, putting an end to, well, whatever was going on between us. I turned back around, letting out a slow breath.

Percy laughed softly.

The class dragged by and when it was over, I turned back to Percy who was smirking. "You weren't at breakfast today." I noted. "Now that I think of it, you're not breakfast often."

His smirk faded and for a moment, he looked uncomfortable. "Like I said, I sleep in."

I nodded and was turning back around when Grover walked in, "Hey guys." He trotted over to Annabeth, Lee, Percy, and me. "I just wanted to say bye before I left. I'm heading out to guide some demigods back to camp."

"Oh, where are you headed?" Lee asked.

"Westover Hall, down in Maine. It's a boarding school."

"Good luck man," Percy patted the satyr on the shoulder. "I'll be rooting for you."

"Same here." Annabeth and I said, nodding an approval.

"I'll see you guys soon." Grover looked between Percy and me. "Hopefully, you guys won't kill each other while I'm gone."

We both scoffed, my blue eyes clashing with his gold ones. With the almost kiss and the annoying remarks yesterday, I was already close to killing him.

* * *

 **A/N-Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys on Saturday for the next update.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N-Sorry for not updating yesterday. I didn't remember until 11-ish and I was at a hotel for a competition and we had to be asleep by 11:30 so I couldn't whip out my laptop and post. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **3rd Person-**

 **Percy gritted his teeth as yet another IM appeared in his cabin.** He looked the floor, his eyes desperate. He was losing control of himself and fast.

When the image clarified, Percy huffed, still looking down. "Luke, I don't think that cure is working, I've been taking it in small dose-"

"Percy?" The caller interrupted, his one, brown eye, searching for him. "It is just me."

"Tyson," Percy's head snapped up, acknowledging his baby brother's presence. He sighed and muttered to himself, "Get a grip, Jackson."

"Are you okay?" The cyclops asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Percy answered quickly then smiled. "How's my baby bro holding up in those undersea forges?"

"Great!" Tyson smiled a barely toothed grin. "I make big sticks and eat peanut butter!"

"That's great, kid. I know you were looking forward to going."

"I wish you were here, Percy." Tyson's face fell. "I could show you my sticks."

"Me too, kid." Percy smiled lopsidedly. "Hey, maybe I can get Rainbow to take me there."

The cyclops beamed at the mention of his favorite hippocami. "Yay, Percy and Rainbow would make me happy."

Before the demigod could reply, a bell rang.

"Break is over." Tyson explained. "Call me soon?"

"Sure thing, kid." Percy swiped his hand over the IM, ending the connection.

* * *

 **1st POV/Thalia-**

Ten seconds passed between when Percy Jackson took his seat and when he pocked me under my shoulder blade with his trusty pen. Ten whole seconds of peace. Twisting around in my seat, I plastered a dazzling smile on my face.

Percy pulled his hand back and tapped the blue cap of his pen on the corner of his lips. "Good morning, Sweetheart."

I forced my gaze to his eyes. Bright gold, as usual. "Good morning, Percy."

"Don't forget we have plans this evening."

"Yeah, I know. Looking forward to it," I said dryly.

"Want to know what I've noticed?" Percy leaned forward, tipping his desk down. One corner of his lips curved higher, as if he were secretly laughing.

"What?"

"Your powers always seem to work best when I'm around. You shocked me at the lake-thanks for that, by the way. Water and electricity mix very well together."

"I'm available anytime."

"Anyway, since we're practicing on your powers this afternoon-I have this really fun idea of how we can do it." Percy wiggled his eyebrows. "Your powers seem to work...better when you're within arms reach if you know what I mean."

He wasn't wrong. I was always in his arms when my powers worked best and I hated that. I knew what his "fun idea" entailed. Me. Him. Making out. I smiled, and the amber in his eyes smoldered.

"Liking the idea?" he murmured as his gaze dropped to my lips.

An unhealthy amount of excitement had my entire body humming, and I reminded myself that I hated his watery guts.

"Not in this lifetime, buddy." I replied.

"Resistance is futile, Sweetheart."

"So is your charm."

"We'll see."

Rolling my eyes, I faced the front of the classroom. A few minutes later, Percy poked me with his pen. Again.

Squeezing my hands into fists, I debated ignoring him. I knew better-he'd just keep poking me.

Turning around, I glared at him. " _What,_ Percy?"

With a grin that did funny things to my stomach, he glided his fingers along my cheek, plucking a tiny bit of lint out of my hair.

I stared at him.

"Don't forget this afternoon..."

I started to get all kinds of crazy ideas as his grin turned wicked, but I wasn't playing his game anymore. I rolled my eyes and whipped back around, I would resist the way he got to me like no one else.

A slight tic of pain throbbed behind my left eye the rest of the morning, which I totally blamed on Percy.

By lunch, I felt like someone had sucker punched me in the head. The steady noise of the mess hall and the smell of burned food made me more queasy.

"Hey do you want go sit outside?" Lee Fletcher suggested. "You don't look so good."

I nodded and he and Annabeth helped me out, bringing our lunches along. We picked a picnic table near the mess hall and began to fell slightly better.

"Thanks guys," I started to smile, but a warm tingle skated across the nape of my neck. A few seconds later, Percy dropped into the seat to my left. A strawberry smoothie-my favorite-was set in front of me. I was more than a little shocked to receive any present from Percy, much less one of my favorite treats. My fingers brushed his as I took the drink, and a jolt of electricity danced along my skin.

I yanked my hand back and took a small sip. Delish. "Thank you."

He smiled in response.

"Where's ours?" Lee quipped and Annabeth nodded in agreement.

Percy laughed. "Sorry guys-she looked a little green."

"Is it that noticeable?" I asked, wiping a hand over my damp, clammy forehead.

"A little." Annabeth said apologetically.

"Cookie?" The son of Poseidon and Kronos offered, holding a cookie full of chocolate chips.

Upset tummy or not, there was no way I could pass that up. "Sure."

His lips tipped up one side and he leaned toward me, his mouth inches from mine. "Come and get it."

 _Come and get...?_ Percy placed half the cookie between those full, totally kissable lips.

Oh, sweet baby Zeus.

My mouth dropped open. Annabeth and Lee grimaced, awaiting my move.

That cookie-those lips-were right _there._

Heat swept over my cheeks and Percy arched his brows, daring me.

Annabeth gagged. "I'm think I'm going to puke."

Mortified, I looked for the nearest hole to crawl in and die. What did he think I was going to do? Take the cookie from his mouth like something straight out of an R-rated version of _Lady and the Tramp?_ Hell, I kind of wanted to, and I wasn't sure what that said about me.

Percy reached up and took the cookie. There was a gleam to his eyes, as if he'd just won a battle. "Time's up, Sweetheart."

I stared at him.

Breaking the cookie in two, he handed me the larger piece. I snatched it away, half tempted to throw it back in his face but it was...it was a cookie. So I ate it.

Taking another sip of my smoothie, I felt unease skitter along my spine like someone was watching me. I looked around-there were campers coming to lunch and nothing looked abnormal. I shook my head, feeling foolish for being weirded out over nothing. Monsters couldn't get inside the camp. Maybe I was coming down with something. I needed to stop freaking out. Maybe that's why I was lightheaded and dizzy. It surely had nothing to do with the boy sitting beside me.

After I finished all my classes, I headed back to my cabin, skipping dinner. My hands felt weak. My thoughts were scattered. Going up the steps to my cabin door, I ignored the way the skin on the back of my neck tingled. I also ignored six feet and then some of boy leaning against the doorframe.

"I didn't see you at dinner today." Annoyance colored his tone. "I was waiting for you after so we could work on your powers."

"I didn't see you at breakfast today." I shot back, more annoyed. I pushed open the door and walked in. Of course, Percy was right behind me, not waiting for an invite. "I don't want practice today, Percy. I'm tired."

Percy was silent as he realized I was serious. I plopped down on my bed, fiddling with the sheets. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." He replied smoothly.

"Do you...feeling anything around me?"

"Other than what I felt this morning when I saw how good you looked in those jeans?"

"Percy." I sighed, trying to disregard the girl in me that screamed, HE NOTICED ME! "I'm being serious."

His long fingers idly traced circles onto my desk. "The back of my neck gets all warm and tingly. Is that what you're talking about?"

I peeked up. "Yeah, you feel it, too?"

"Whenever we're near each other." He confirmed.

"It doesn't bother you?" I asked.

"Does it bother you?"

"I-I don't know." I realized. "Is it an empathy link?"

"No, those can only be created by satyrs," Percy explained. "Grover and I used to have one."

Suddenly, Percy frowned. "Are you feeling well?" He asked.

Not really. "Why?"

"You look like crap."

Any other time his comment would've started a war, but I just sighed. "I think I'm coming down with something."

"Well then don't." Percy said. "I can't afford for you to be sick. We need to get you outside and work on your powers. What if there's a quest then you're a-"

"If you dare say I'm a weakness, I will hurt you."

He sat back on top of the desk, brows inching up his forehead. "I was going to say that you're at _risk._ "

"Oh." My cheeks flushed. Whoops. "Well, then, I'm still not weak."

One second Percy was sitting at the table and the next he was beside me, kneeling down. He had to look up slightly to see my face.

"I know you're not weak. I've seen you conjure up storms out of thin air. I've felt the power of your dad's most prized master bolt and I can honestly say, I believe there's twice as much power in you."

Whoa. It was getting hard to hate Percy when he was actually being...nice. He stared at me like I was the last piece of chocolate in the whole world.

Which made me think of that damn chocolate chip cookie in his mouth.

The side of his lips twitched as if he knew what I was thinking and was fighting a smile. Not that little smirk of his, but a real smile. Then suddenly, he was leaning over me. "Now I need you to prove you're not weak. Let's get to work."

I groaned. "Percy, I'm really not feeling well."

"Thalia..."

"I'm not saying that to be difficult. I feel like puking."

"You want a repeat of those last moments of your life from six years ago? Defenseless and outnumbered against a horde of monsters?"

Good point. I winced at the memory, pushing up from the bed. "I'll get changed."

Surprise widened his eyes as he stepped back. "Caving in so easily?"

"Caving in?" I laughed. "Dude, I just want you out of my face."

Percy chuckled deeply. "Keep telling yourself that, Sweetheart."

"Keep taking your ego steroids."

In a blink of an eye, he was in front of me, blocking my way. Then he prowled forward, head lowered and eyes full of intent. I backed up until my back was against a wall.

"What?" I demanded.

Placing his hands on either side of my hips, he bent forward. His breath was warm against against my cheek and our eyes locked. He moved a fraction of inch closer, his lips brushed my chin. A strangled gasp escaped the back of my throat, and I swayed toward him.

A heartbeat later, Percy pulled back, chuckling smugly. "Yeah...not my ego, Sweetheart. Go get ready."

Dammit!

Giving him my number one finger, I went into the bathroom. My skin still felt clammy and gross as I changed into a pair of sweats and a thermal. I splashed water on my face and as the liquid ran down my face, I felt slightly better. Despite that, some sixth sense knew this power training sesh wasn't going to end well.

* * *

Percy started us off with a jog. I lasted twenty minutes.

With the uneven terrain of the woods, the brisk August wind-New York was particularly chilly this week-and the boy next to me, I couldn't do it. Leaving him halfway to the lake, I speed walked all the way back to my cabin. Percy called out to me a couple of times, but I ignored him. Within a minute of reaching my bathroom, I threw up-the clutching-the-toilet, on-my-knees, tears-streaming-down-my-face kind of hurling. It was so bad that Annabeth and Lee, who were taking a walk, heard it.

They hurried into the bathroom, and Annabeth pulled my hair back. "Oh Thalia, I didn't know you were feeling _this_ bad."

"Me either." I moaned, resting my head against the tub.

 _Tsk_ -ing under his breath, Lee placed his hand against my forehead. "You're burning up." He grabbed a towel and ran it under the tap. "We should get you to the infirmary-"

"No, I'll be fine." I took the towel gratefully, pressing it against my forehead. The coolness was wonderful.

"Wait outside for me, okay?" Annabeth asked him. "I'll be right out."

Lee nodded, leaving. The daughter of Athena then proceeded to cluck over me until I got up and took a shower. Changing into a long sleep shirt took an absurd amount of time. The room did a Tilt-a-Whirl on me as I climbed under the covers, shivering.

Annabeth had brought Lee back in, who brought in a bottle of water and some nectar.

The son of Apollo snapped his fingers, and a thermometer appeared in his hand. "Open up."

I obediently opened my mouth. After a moment, the device beeped.

"One hundred and one. You're going to need a small dose of nectar." Pausing, he handed me a small vial of the amber liquid. I downed it, no questions asked. "Your temp isn't that bad, but I want you to stay in bed and rest. We'll check up on you before curfew, okay?"

I nodded and then snuggled down. Sleep was all I needed. Annabeth folded another damp cloth and placed it over my forehead. I closed my eyes, almost certain I was approaching stage one of a zombie infection.

A weird fog entered my mind. I began to see images of three old ladies knitting but my dream was cut short as Annabeth and Lee checked in on me around ten. They made sure I was hydrated and had enough damp towels for the night. As soon as they left, I closed my eyes and the dream resumed. The three old ladies were back, sitting in rocking chairs. Their silver hair was tied back into a bandanna which was pretty badass for some old grannies. They all wore white cotton dresses and their bony arms constantly knitted. The middle one's head snapped up and I felt her eyes pierce my soul.

"Τα παιδιά των τριών μεγάλων , θα σου δεσμεύσει έως ότου ο πρεσβύτερος φτάσει δεκαέξι" **(A/N-This is a rough translation. Don't bother looking it up because it won't make sense.)** She said, a green fog surrounding her. The two other grannies joined in and before I could decipher the line, I woke up.

My night shirt was damp, clinging to my feverish skin. I went to push the blankets off and noticed they were across the room, covering my desk. I must've accidentally summoned the wind to blow them away.

Cold sweat dotted my forehead as I sat up. My thumping heart echoed in my head, heavy and erratic. Two beats at once, it seemed. My skin felt stretched tight over my muscles-hot and prickly. I stood, and the room spun.

I was so hot, burning up from the inside. My insides felt as if they'd melted into goo. My thoughts ran into one another, a never-ending train of nonsense. All I knew was that I needed to _cool_ _down_. I waved my left hand and the door flew open, beckoning me. I frowned, I knew my powers were coming back but it usually required more effort. Nevertheless, I walked outside. It wasn't cold enough.

Stars lined the night sky, intensely bright. I lowered my gaze and the trees seemed to shift colors. Yellow. Gold. Red. Then they turned a muted shade of brown.

I was dreaming, I realized.

In a daze, I ventured away from my cabin, barefoot. Pieces of gravel poked at my feet, but I kept walking, the moonlight leading the way. It didn't take me long to reach the lake. Under the pale light, the onyx-colored water rippled. I moved forward, stopping when my toes sunk through loose dirt. Prickling heat scorched my skin as I stood there. Burning, Sweltering.

"Thalia?"

Slowly, I turned around. Wind whipped around me as I stared at the apparition. Moonlight slicked his face in shadows, reflecting in his wide, bright eyes. He seemed to fade in out a bit, indicating that he wasn't real.

"What are you doing, Sweetheart?" Percy asked.

He seemed fuzzy. Percy was never fuzzy. "I...I need to cool down."

Understanding shot across his face. "Don't you dare go into that lake."

I moved backward. Icy water lapped at my ankles and then my knees. "Why?"

"Why?" He took a step forward. "It's too cold. Sweetheart, don't make me come in there and get you."

My head throbbed. "Why are you here anyway? It's past midnight."

"I don't want to go sleep."

"What are you-a little kid? Scared of the dark and going to sleep?"

His lips twitched, "Yes." He admitted softly.

I frowned, this was definitely a dream-Percy wasn't one to admit fear. My brain cells were definitely melting. I sunk farther down. Cold water soothed the burning in my skin. It washed over my head, stealing my breath and the fire. The burn eased, nearly fading. I could stay under forever. Maybe I would.

Strong, solid arms surrounded me, pulling me back to the surface. Frigid air rushed me, but my lungs were seared. I dragged in deep gulps, hoping to extinguish the flames. Percy was pulling me out of the holy water, moving so fast I was in the water one second and standing on shore the next.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, grasping my shoulders and giving me a light shake. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Don't." I pushed at him weakly. "I'm so hot."

"Yeah, you're hot, alright. The whole wet white shirt...it's working, Sweetheart, but a midnight swim in a negative degree lake? That's a little a daring and that's coming from a son of Poseidon."

He wasn't making any sense. The reprieve was over, and my skin was burning again. I stumbled from his grasp, back toward the cool lake.

His arms were around me before I even took two steps, turning me around. "Thalia, you can't get in the lake. It's _too_ cold. You're going to get sick." He brushed back the hair from my cheeks. "Hell-sicker than you already are. You're burning up."

Something in what he said cleared a bit of haze. I leaned into him, pressing my cheek into his chest. He smelled _wonderful._ Like spearmint and a cool ocean breeze. "I don't want you."

"Uh, now is not the time to get into _that_ conversation."

This was just a dream so I sighed, wrapping my arms around his waist. "But I do want you."

Percy's arms tightened around me. "I know, Sweetheart. I know. You're not fooling anyone. Come on."

Letting go, my arms hung limply at my sides. "I...I don't feel too good."

"Thalia." He pulled back. Both hands were on my face, holding my head up. "Thalia, look at me."

I wasn't looking at him? My legs gave out. And then there was nothing. No Percy. No thoughts. No fire. No Thalia.

* * *

Things were hazy, disjointed. Warm hands kept the hair back from my face. Fingers smoothed over my cheek. A deep voice spoke to me, somewhat musical and soft. A song that was beautiful and comforting.

I heard voices.

Once, I thought I heard Annabeth.

"You've been here all day, Seaweed Brain-go get some rest. I've got her."

I was moved around. Wet clothing instantly dried. Something warm and soft slid over my skin. I tried talking to the voices around me, and maybe I did. I wasn't sure.

At some point, I was wrapped in a cloud and carried somewhere. A steady heart beat under my cheek, holding me until the voices faded and cool hands were replaced with warm ones. Bright lights intruded. I heard more voices. _Chiron?_ Chiron sounded worried. He was talking to...someone. I recognized the voice as Michael Yew, a son of Apollo and medic for the infirmary. _He_ had the cool hands.

There was a prick in my arm, a dull pain that radiated to my fingers. More hushed voices, and then I heard nothing.

There was no day or night, but this weird in-between where a fire raged in my body. Heat swept inside me, rushing through my veins. Gasping, I arched my back off the bed, and strangled scream escaped the back of my throat. Everything burned. A fire raged inside of me ten times worse than before, and I knew I was dying. I had to be...

And then there was a coolness in my over skin, like someone was barely hovering a small amount of water over me. It moved quickly, dousing the flames and leaving a trail of ice in its wake. Then I slept. I slept for what felt like an eternity, not certain I was ever going to wake up.

* * *

Four days of being in the hospital, and I had next to no recollection of any of it. Only that I woke up Thursday in an uncomfortable bed, staring at a white ceiling and feeling fine. Great, even. I'd obviously had a bad case of the flu or something, not something serious.

Now Chiron watched me with shadowed eyes as I downed a glass of water. Convinced that I was feeling much better, he discharged me from the infirmary.

"Michael and Lee cleared you-you're free to resume classes and return your cabin."

"Thanks, Chiron." I swung my legs, getting up to stretch. "Did I have the flu or something?"

"Perhaps. Annabeth said she'd look into it; she may have an answer by now. I wouldn't worry much-last month, many campers were stricken with the flu."

I nodded, craning my neck. After a paused, I frowned. "How did I get to the infirmary?"

"Percy brought you in. Although, I'm curious as to how he knew where you were at three in the morning and what he was doing up at such an ungodly hour." The centaur's eyes narrowed, "Actually, I'm very curious."

Oh, shit. "So am I."

As I began to walk away, Chiron placed a hand on my shoulder. "Before I forget, Grover has requested your assistance to recruit the two demigods at Westover Hall. He's declared an emergency-he believes they are very powerful."

"Two demigods?" I questioned-that was rare, especially considering the fact they are powerful.

"A boy and girl-siblings." My mentor confirmed. "You, Percy, Annabeth, and Lee will be departing shortly."

Outwardly, I smiled and walked out of the infirmary, towards my class. Inwardly, I groaned. As if I needed to spend more time with the stabworthy son of Kronos and Poseidon.

* * *

 **A/N-So about updating next week, I have a decent chunk of chapter five done but it also takes place over a spam of three months (Don't ask-you'll see why) so those take longer. So far I've started on month one but that's kind of introducing the Di Angelos and a Perlia scene so that shouldn't take long. Like I mentioned in the above A/N I had a competition and I missed two days of school so I have a few tests to make up and homework. So I can't say 100% that I can post on tuesday. After this goes up, I think I'll do most of my homework and studying so I have monday to write out the chapter. As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Alright, it's 2 am in the morning where I'm at and I've spent days writing this chapter. Hence, why I couldn't get it up last week. First off, I would wait until tomorrow to post it but I'm going out and will probably be gone all day so I figured I'd post it now. Second off, this chapter is 16k+ words. I know, it's alot. This is the longest chapter I've written and I wanted to split it but because it takes time over a period of three months, I wanted to leave it as one whole chapter. When the chapter starts getting into the months, please note that these are specific scenes from that month. I didn't describe everyday of that month in chronological order so it may seem jumpy. Happy reading and settle down, you're going to be here for a while if you read this in one sitting.**

* * *

 **I'd never been more eager to get to Ancient Greek in my life.** How the hell did Percy know I was that sick? The dream I had about the lake couldn't have been real. No way. If it was...I was going to...I didn't know what I'd do, but I was sure my flaming cheeks would be involved.

Silena was the first to arrive. "Yay! You're back! How are you feeling? Better?"

"Yeah, I'm doing okay." My eyes darted to the door as it opened. It was Annabeth.

She waved to me as she passed, smiling. "I'm glad you're doing better. We were all worried. Every time I checked in on you, you were mumbling, calling out for someone."

Oh, no. "I did?"

Silena giggled. "You did."

Taking pity on me, Annabeth kept her voice low. "You were calling out for Percy."

I dropped my face in my hands and moaned. "Oh, God."

Silena giggled again. "It was kind of cute."

"So the lake thing...it wasn't a dream?" I said through muffled hands.

Annabeth cringed. "No, that was real. Percy got Lee and me after he took you to the infirmary. I was the one to place you in dry clothes, by the way."

I laughed. "I was hoping that was you."

"Although he did volunteer for the job," she said, her eyes rolling. "Percy is so helpful."

Wanting to get my mind off the son of Kronos and Poseidon, I changed the subject. "So when are we heading to Westoverhall?"

"We can go late this evening, if you're feeling better."

"Yeah, sure." I agreed. "I'm one percent a-okay."

"That's good to hear." Annabeth smiled at me before turning to talk to Lee.

A minute before the bell rang, I felt an all-too-familiar warmth on my neck and glanced up. Percy swaggered into class. Textbook-less as usual. He had a notebook, but I don't think he ever wrote anything in it.

He passed by without so much as a glance.

I twisted around in my chair. "I need to talk to you."

He slid into his desk chair. "Okay."

"How did you know I was sick in the middle of the night?"

Percy stared at me for a moment. "You don't remember?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, it was probably the fever. You were burning up."

My eyes snapped back to his. "You touched me?"

"Yes, I touched you...and you weren't a lot of clothes." The smug stretch of his lips spread. "And you were soaked...in a white T-shirt. Nice look. Very nice."

Heat crept over my cheeks. "So did I go swimming in the lake?"

Percy leaned forward, which put him in the same breathing space as me. "You did. Not something I expected to see on a Monday night, but I'm not complaining. I saw a lot."

"Shut up," I hissed. He threw at sexy smirk at me and I made a face, turning back to the front of the room. After class ended, I managed to get through the rest of the day and get to my cabin to pack. After packing, I dragged my duffel bag down Half Blood hill, toward the van.

Lee was already there, along with Argus, the one hundred eyed security guard and driver.

"Hey, Thalia," The son of Apollo pointed to my bag. "Want me to get that for you?"

"Sure." I handed him the bag and he took it gingerly. "Thanks."

Lee grunted as he closed the trunk. "No problem."

"Oh, Annabeth's coming-she just forgot something." He explained. "Percy should be here any moment."

"I don't suppose we could just leave him?"

As Lee laughed, I saw a flash of blonde hair coming down the hill.

Annabeth waved at Argus, who gave a nod in response, then turned to us. "Found the book." She stated, holding up a small, dusty leather bound book.

"What's that?" I asked, it had no title.

"An ancient book of illnesses, spells, and potions." The daughter of Athena answered. "I was thinking that your high fever and sickness might be a result of your power decline but there's nothing matching your symptoms in here. It must've been the flu. Figured I'd bring anyway-for light reading."

"Actually, I think my powers are back now." I waved my hand and the winds picked up, the sky turning slightly dark. "Maybe the fever helped bring it to the surface."

"Maybe." Lee agreed.

"Let's hope so." Percy strolled down the hill, a backpack in hand. As my face soured at his arrival, Percy jerked his head toward the van. "Shall we?"

We all got in the van, taking up the four backseats. Lee sat on the far right, Annabeth and I occupied the middle, and Percy sat on the left. I wasn't too fond of the seating, though.

After we were well on our way, I frowned. "Hey Annabeth?" I asked. "Did you say that book also had spells in it?"

"Yeah, all sorts. Anything from incantations to simple spells-I got it from the Hecate kids."

"Well, I had this dream-"

"Did you, Martin Luther King Jr?"

"Shut up, Percy." Annabeth hissed before turning to me. "Go on."

I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore Percy's intense stare. "I had this dream of these three old women, and they were knitting. Then, one of them looked at me and said something then the other two joined in." I repeated the line which caused Annabeth's face to pale.

"The Fates." She said, opening the book and flipping through it. "This is not good, Thalia. Not good, at all. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't think of it till now." I frowned. "What do you mean not good-they're just old ladies, right?"

"The fates are three white-robed personifications of destiny in Greek mythology. They control the metaphorical thread of life for every living thing from birth to death." Lee explained. "Did they cut the thread?"

"I...I can't remember but I didn't see any scissors."

"Find anything, Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"Unfortunately," Annabeth's face looked grim. "Lee, you said her symptoms were a high fever, nausea, confusion, and extreme heat?"

"That's right." Lee nodded, glancing at the book. Right then, his face paled as well.

"Well?" I asked, getting worried.

"The Fates cast a binding spell over you," Annabeth said. "It links you and someone else together. If you die, the other person dies as well."

"What?" I had to kept my voice down a notch to keep from yelling. "Why? Who am I bonded to?"

"I don't know why but it says that both people should be aware of each other's presences before they're even visible," Lee explained. "Have you felt like a tingling sensation or a sudden onset of heat whenever a particular person comes around?"

Percy's head whipped towards me and I-involuntarily-did the same.

"Shit." We both said together. I huffed, at least there was one thing we could agree on.

"You're bonded to Percy?" Annabeth said in disbelief, then rubbed her temples. "Two children of the Big Three bonded together-not good. Not good, at all."

"I can't believe this." I leaned back, shooting a distasteful look at Percy. "This blows."

"Gods, why did they tie me to you-the child of the prophecy?" He groaned. "It's like they want me dead."

"Excuse me?" I retorted, almost nose-to-nose with him. "That's a whole better than being tied to a reckless idiot, not to mention an _assassin."_

The daughter of Athena held up a hand. "Hold up, Percy has a good point. I don't think they want you dead-they want Thalia alive, so you can live to fulfill the prophecy."

"To increase those chances, they paired you together. You two are fighters, survivors." Lee added. "They want you alive, Thalia and binding you to Percy would only help that."

"Then why not bind me to a god or some other immortal being? They _can't_ die."

"It can only work between two half bloods." Annabeth shut the book. "There's no way to end the connection, it will just have to fade on its own. I think it'll fade when you turn sixteen."

"When do you turn sixteen?" Percy looked as stressed as I felt.

"December 22nd," I counted on my fingers. "It's October now so...three months from now."

"Percy, when is yours?" Lee asked.

Percy looked grim. "December 23rd. You probably beat me by a few hours."

"Oh lucky me, I get to face the evil Titan Lord and possibly die. Can't wait."

Annabeth frowned. "I thought your birthday was in August."

Percy's chest rose slowly. "No, that's just canon."

We were all quiet for the rest of the drive. Annabeth fell asleep on Lee's shoulder, who was also out cold. Percy had brought his stupid pen with him.

"What's your deal with that thing, anyway?" I jerked my head toward the pen.

Percy blinked. "I kind of need it to survive, Thalia."

I shrugged, not understanding what he meant. Eventually, I felt the car come to a halt, parking.

"Wake up, lovebirds." I shook the two sleeping demigods while Percy got out of the car.

"Hmm?" Annabeth asked drowsily, stirring slightly.

"Up." I repeated. "We're here."

Lee opened his eyes but the were obscured by the mound of dark hair that fell on his face. He gently eased a sleepy Annabeth up, getting out the car.

Percy was outside and had managed to get the bags out of the trunk. "What took you guys so long? Almost thought I'd accidentally stopped time."

I rolled my eyes, turning around to face the boarding school. It was a massive, Victorian-style castle. Exactly what you'd expect a military boarding school to look like. The only thing it was missing were those gargoyle statues that gave me the creeps.

Argus gave us nod before driving off which left the four of us alone.

"Shall we?" Percy asked, picking up his backpack.

"We shall." I responded, slinging my duffel bag across my shoulder.

* * *

Grover met us at the front entrance, looking slightly nervous. "I'm afraid I have some bad news." He started. "You guys might be staying here for a long time."

I raised a brow, frowning as he led us through the empty halls. It was nighttime-the staff and students were asleep.

"You see, originally, I only called you guys to help me escort these two half bloods to camp. They seem powerful and um, well I just didn't want things to go wrong." Grover looked at me apologetically. I nodded, we definitely did not a repeat of six years ago. "But a few days ago, the school got a new vice principal. I asked around and everyone's been acting like he's been here all year. He's manipulated the mist. I have yet to see him but I can smell him, he's definitely a monster."

"He must've smelled the two half bloods." I concluded. "He hasn't made a move on them?"

"No, not yet. I think he only suspects what they are." Grover replied. "Hopefully, all four of you-being demigods-will throw him off."

"So let me get this straight," Percy raised a hand. "There's a monster here and we have no idea what he looks like or what he's capable of. And we're bait, essentially."

"Correct." Grover confirmed.

"Super." Percy muttered.

"Here are your dorms." Grover stopped at the end of a long hallway, a series of doors on each side. "Annabeth and Thalia, you guys are room 101. These are the girls' dorm and one of the half bloods, Bianca di Angelo-is directly across the hall. Room 113. I'll bring by your schedules tomorrow, I've made sure at least one of you have a class with her."

Annabeth had a hand on the door, yawning. "Well, bye boys. See you in the morning."

"Bye Lee," I said. "Bye Grover. Have a nice night."

"Bye, Sweetheart." Percy said as the boys went back down the hall.

I rolled my eyes and before I closed the door, I heard Grover say, "So Percy, you're going to have a roommate. Nico di Angelo."

"Great." Percy muttered and I didn't need a connection to know that he was rolling his eyes.

 **Month One~October**

The next day, Annabeth and I got up around seven for breakfast. The cafeteria was a standard size for any school, a few benches and a lunch line. Annabeth and I picked up some raisin bran and a piece of toast before joining Percy and Lee at a nearby table.

Percy had his head in hands, groaning.

"You look like you slept well." I commented, smiling.

"Haha." Percy yawned, his gold eyes a dull color. "I can't stand that Nico kid-mythomagic this and that."

"Mytho-what?" Annabeth asked, spreading jam onto her toast.

"It's this stupid collector card and figurine game he plays." Percy explained then glanced at his coffee cup. "I need something that's more than coffee but less than cocaine."

"You should get some Vitamin C-the sun can do wonders for the body if taken in moderation." Lee added.

"Percy's not exactly a um... _sunny_ person." I said, sticking my tongue out at the demigod.

"Is this coffee bitter?" Percy asked, taking a sip. "Nope. It must be you." His gold eyes flashed to mine, becoming more vibrant.

"Haha. Has anyone ever told you how funny you are? No-I wonder why."

"Alright, you two." Annabeth flashed us both a warning gaze. "Simmer down."

"I wasn't doing anything," Percy claimed. "She provokes me-"

"Hey guys," Grover interrupted, two timid kids behind him. One was a girl with black hair and olive-toned skin. She looked around my age, a few years younger. The other was a boy, around nine with the same colored eyes and hair. The Di Angelos. Grover was right-their auras were strong. "This is Bianca and Nico Di Angelo. Bianca and Nico, these are my friends. They just transferred here."

Grover pointed us out individually. "That's Lee."

"Hey," The son of Apollo greeted, waving.

"That's Annabeth."

"Good morning, guys."

"That's Thalia."

I waved.

"And that's Percy."

"Percy!" Nico exclaimed happily. "I didn't finish explaining the game to you last night."

"Good morning, Nico." Percy grumbled. "I see the assassin's have failed."

"Shut up, Percy." Annabeth hissed before turning to the Di Angelos, "So what grade are you guys in?"

Bianca tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm in the seventh grade and Nico's a fourth grader."

"Cool," I commented. "So how long have you guys been here?"

"Two years," Bianca said then frowned. "I think."

"Can I see your schedules?" Nico said, excited.

"Umm, we don't have them ye-" I started before Grover interrupted.

"Oh! I forgot to hand you guys your schedules." Grover placed four papers before us.

"Hey, look B." Nico nudged his sister. "You have Chemistry with Thalia and Annabeth! And Percy! Then English with Percy and Lee! Actually, you have a class with at least two of them every period. What are the odds?"

"How coincidental," Percy leaned across the table, his face (and lips) dangerously close to mine. The gold in his eyes intensified. "Not only do we have a connection, we have chemistry together."

I leaned in, our noses touching. "This whacked out bond isn't a connection, it's torture. I know you're desperate and all, but this 'thing' between us is solely for survival. Got it, buddy?"

"Oh, I got it, Sweetheart." Percy held up his hands in surrender, dropping himself back in his seat.

"Okay..." Grover cleared his throat, getting my attention. "So classes start in an hour and lunch is at noon."

Annabeth nodded, getting up. "Come on, Thalia. Let's go get ready."

I nodded, following her out.

* * *

My foot tapped anxiously as I waited for Chemistry class to begin. Annabeth had her nose in that book of spells, probably looking for a way to reverse the bond-which was probably impossible. I felt Bianca staring at me out of the corner of my eye.

Suddenly, a look of understanding crossed her face. "Do you have ADHD, Thalia?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I do. It gets worse the more anxious I am."

"Me too!" Bianca smiled. She had a nice smile-I could tell that she didn't smile all that often. Not because she was angry, but probably because she had so much responsibility. She told us she had taken Nico ever since she could remember. She had a lot on her plate and that was only going to get worse when she finds out she's a demigod.

"What are you anxious about?" She asked.

I looked at the door distractedly then at the clock. Two minutes until class started and Percy was still not here. "Huh?" I turned to Bianca.

"You mentioned your ADHD gets worse the more anxious you are." Bianca repeated. "What are you anxious about?"

I felt a familar warmth dance across the back of my neck and looked up. A second later, Percy Jackson strolled in. "Him."

Bianca frowned. "Is Percy your boyfriend?"

"Oh god no, would you date that?" I laughed then sighed as he placed himself in the only seat available. Behind me. Great. "He's just...Percy."

Bianca gave him a small smile then turned back around.

I twisted around in my chair. "We need to talk. In private."

His expression was blank as he leaned back in his chair. "Meet me in the library at lunch. No one really goes in there. You know, with all those books and stuff."

I scoffed, turning back in my seat. After class, I told Annabeth and Bianca that I'd be late for lunch.

* * *

Percy wasn't waiting at the double doors to the library. Shouldering my bag, I entered the musty smelling room. A young librarian glanced up and smiled as I looked around. The back of my neck was tingly, but I didn't see him. Knowing Percy, he was probably hiding so no one would see His Coolness in a library. I passed a few students at the tables and computers eating their lunches, then roamed around until I found _him_ back in the nosebleed section-Eastern European culture. A basic no-man's-land.

He was lounging in a cubicle beside an outdated computer, hands shoved into the pockets of his faded jeans. A wavy lock of hair covered his forehead, brushing against thick lashes. His lips curled into a half smile.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to find me." He made no move to clear up any space whatsoever in the tiny 6x6 hole.

I dropped my bag outside the walls and hopped up on the desk opposite to him. "Embarrassed someone would see you and think you're capable of reading?"

"I do have a reputation to maintain."

"And what a lovely reputation that is."

He stretched out his legs so that his feet were under mine. "So what did you want to talk about"-his voice lowered to a deep, sexy whisper-"in private?"

I shivered-and it had nothing to do with the temperature. "Not what you're hoping."

Percy threw me a sexy smirk.

"So just for confirmation," My eyes held his gaze. "I went swimming in the lake?"

Percy pushed off the desk and took a step forward. "Like I said before, you did. I saw a lot."

"Shut up," I hissed.

"Don't be embarrassed." He reached out, tugging on the sleeve of my cardigan. I smacked his hand away. "I'd be more than happy to do a replay so you can see it live-in action."

I came off the desk swinging. My knuckles only brushed his face before he caught my hand. Wowzers, he was fast. Percy pulled me up against his chest and lowered his head, eyes full of restrained anger. "Don't hit, Sweetheart. It's not nice."

" _You're_ not nice." I tried pulling back, but he kept my wrist secured in his hand. "Let me go."

"No can do. I must protect myself." He dropped my hand.

"Oh, really, that's your reason for-for manhandling me?"

"Manhandling?" He pressed forward until my lower back was against the cubicle desk. "This isn't manhandling or whatever the hell that is."

Visions of me and Percy getting hot and sweaty danced around in my head. Parts of my body tingled. Oh, so not a good sign. "Percy, someone is going to see us."

"So?" He gently picked up my hand.

I drew in a deep breath. His scent was on my tongue. Our chests touched. Body said yes. Thalia said hell no. I _wasn't_ affected by this. Not by how close we were or how his fingers were sliding under the sleeve of my cardigan. It wasn't _real._ His fingers were completely under my sleeve, smoothing up my forearm. His skin-it hummed like electricity. There was nothing like it.

"Why do you keep touching me?" I asked, flustered.

"I like to."

Gods, I liked it, too, and I shouldn't. "I can't wait till this bond fades. I can't stand you." Somehow, and I really haven't a clue how, my free hand was against his chest. His heart was fast and hard. So did mine.

"Keep telling yourself that." His chin brushed my hair and then slid over my cheek. I shivered. A spark passed from his skin to mine, humming in the charged air around us. "If that makes you feel better, but we both know it's a lie."

"It's not a lie." I tipped my head back. His breath was a warm stroke against my lips.

"We're still going to be seeing each other," he murmured. "And don't even lie. I know that makes you happy. You told me you wanted me."

Hold your horses. "When?"

"At the lake." He slanted his head, and I should've pulled back. His lips curved knowingly against mine, and he let go of my wrist. "You said you wanted me."

Both of my hands were on his chest. They had a mind of their own. I claimed no responsibility for them. "I had a fever. Lost my mind."

"Whatever, Sweetheart." Percy gripped my hips, lifting me onto the edge of the desk with an ease that was disturbing. "I know better."

My breath was coming in short gasps. "You don't know anything."

"Sure, I don't. You know, I was worried about you," he admitted, moving forward, easing my legs apart. "You kept calling my name, and I kept answering, but it was like you couldn't hear me."

What were we talking about? My hands were on his lower stomach. His muscles were hard underneath the sweater. I slid my hands to his sides, totally meaning to push him away. Instead, I gripped and pulled him forward. "Wow, I must've been really out of it."

"It...scared me."

Before I could respond or even give thought to the fact that my illness actually scared him, our lips met. My brain clicked off as my fingers dug through his sweater, and...and oh, gods, his kisses were deep, scorching my lips as his hands tightened on my waist, pulling me against him.

Percy kissed me like he was starving for water, taking long, breathless drafts. His teeth caught my lower lip when he pulled away, only to come back for more. A heady mix of emotions warred inside me. I didn't want this, because it was just the connection between us. I kept telling myself that, even as I slid my hands up his chest and circled them around his neck. When his hands inched under my shirt, it was as though he reached deep inside me, warming every cell, filling every dark space within me with the heat from his skin.

Touching him, kissing him, was like having a fever all over again. I was on fire. My body burned. The world burned. Sparks flew. Against his mouth, I moaned.

There was a _POP!_ and _CRACK!_

The smell of burned plastic filled the cubicle. We pulled apart, breathing heavily. Over his shoulder I saw thin strips of smoke wafting from the top of the ancient monitor. Good gods, was this going to happen every time we kissed?

And what in the hell was I doing? I'd decided I wasn't going to let this happen with Percy, which meant no kissing...or touching. The way he'd treated me when we first met still stung. The pain and embarrassment still lingered in me.

I pushed him. _Hard._ Percy let go, staring me like I'd kicked his puppy into traffic. Looking away, I wiped the back of my hand over my mouth. It didn't work. Everything about him was still around me, _in_ me. "Gods, I don't even _like_ this-kissing you."

Percy straightened, coming to his full height. "I beg to differ. And I think this computer tells a different story, too."

I shot him a dirty look. "That-that will never happen again."

Percy sighed. "Thalia, you enjoyed that-just as much as I did. Why lie?"

"Because it's not real," I said. "You didn't want me before."

"I did-"

"Don't you dare say you wanted me, because you treated me like I was the Antichrist! You can't just undo that because there's a stupid connection between us." I sucked in a sharp breath. "You really hurt me then. I don't think you even know how much."

Percy looked away, dragging his fingers through his hair. A muscle popped out in his jaw. "I know. I'm...I'm sorry for how I treated you, Thalia."

Shocked, I stared at him. Percy _never_ apologized. Like, ever. Maybe he really...I shook my head. His apology wasn't enough."Even now, we're all the way hidden in the library, as if you're ashamed of being seen with me. And I'm supposed to be okay with that?"

His eyes widened. "Thalia-"

"I'm not saying that we can't be friends, because I want to. I do like you a lo-" I cut myself off before I said too much. "Look, this didn't happen. I'm going to blame this on the aftereffects of the flu or that a zombie ate my brain."

His brows furrowed. "What?"

"I don't want this with you." I started to turn, but he caught my arm. I glared at him. "Percy..."

He looked at me dead in the eye. "You're a terrible liar. You do want this. Just as badly as I do."

My mouth opened, but no words came out.

"You want this as badly as you want to go to How the edge stole Christmas this winter."

Now my jaw was on the floor. "You don't even know what that is!"

"It's a group of punk-rock and alternative bands and performers who play a set list at an event. This year, they're playing in Las Vegas." Percy grinned, proud. "I overheard you talking about it with Annabeth. I'm pretty sure you said you'd give up your first born to Kronos to go."

Yeah, I kind of did say that.

Percy's eyes flashed. "Anyway, back to the whole you-wanting-me part."

I shook my head, dumbfounded.

"You do want me."

Taking a deep breath, I struggled with my temper...and my amusement. "You, my friend, are _waaay_ too confident."

"I'm confident enough to wager a bet."

"You can't be serious."

He grinned. "I bet that by Christmas Day, you will have admitted that you're madly, deeply, irrevocably-"

"Wow. You want to throw another adverb out there?" My cheeks were burning.

"How about irresistibly?"

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "I'm surprised you even know what an adverb is."

"Stop distracting me, Sweetheart. Back to my bet-by Christmas day, you'll have admitted that you're madly, deeply, irrevocably, and _irresistibly_ in love with me."

Stunned, I choked on my laugh.

"And you dream about me." He released my arm and folded his across his chest, cocking an eyebrow. "I'll bet you'll admit. Probably even show me your notebook with my name circled in hearts-"

"Oh, for the love of the gods..."

Percy winked. "It's on."

Spinning around, I grabbed my backpack and hurried through the stacks, leaving Percy in the cubicle before I did something insane. Like throw common sense aside and run back to pulverize him.

I went through the rest of my classes, thankfully-Percy was in none of them. After my last class, I headed to my dorm room, Bianca walking beside me.

When I placed a hand on the door knob, Bianca gasped. "Thalia-I live in 113. We're directly across from each other."

"Wow, that's something." I feigned surprise. "First we have classes together and now we have dorms right next to each other. The school administration must really want us to be friends or something."

Bianca laughed, her dark eyes illuminating. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm glad that you guys are here anyway. Nico really likes Lee and Percy and it's nice that we have some time away. Don't get me wrong-I love my little brother. But sometimes I just need some time to myself, you know?"

"I get it. Totally." I smiled at the girl. "Well, goodnight Bianca. See you in the morning."

Bianca Di Angelo opened her door. "'Night, Thalia."

I entered my plain dorm room. There were two twin beds and a door that led to bathroom. Apart from that, there was a small kitchen and a laundry room. I looked at the wall and frowned; I had to get some Green Day posters up.

The daughter of Athena sat on her bed, reading that book of spells again.

"Hey, Thalia." She greeted without so much as a glance.

"Hey, nerd." I plopped myself down at the feet of her bed. "Find anything new?"

"No, unfortunately." Annabeth closed the book, admitting defeat. "I was searching for the extent of this bond-that part where if either you dies, the other does too. I'm starting to wonder if the same thing happens if one of you gets hurt."

"You mean like if someone breaks my arm, Percy's will also?" I asked.

"Yeah, like that." My roommate ran a hand through her gold locks, sighing. "I don't think the Fates would make it that extreme. They know you two are demigods-you're bound to get hurt at any given time. I think I'm just looking for anything-something to know more about this. I've never been so uninformed about such a big thing."

I nodded, understanding.

"I mean, there's nothing in Greek history about this. I have no idea what were up against here."

"Well, thanks for restoring my confidence." I muttered, my heart beginning to accelerate slightly. "Don't stress out about it, Annabeth. This will all end when I turn sixteen."

Annabeth nodded. "You're right, Thalia. Anyway, you didn't show up at lunch. What happened?"

I hesitated. "Percy happened. I wanted to talk about the whole lake thing."

"How'd that go?" Annabeth asked then a look of alarm flashed across her face. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"What? No!" I sighed. "I wanted to, though."

"Can't say I blame you." Annabeth sighed, sliding under her covers. "Well, I'm going to take a nap."

"Would you like me to wake you up when September ends?" I asked.

Annabeth laughed at my Green Day reference. "Preferably."

I patted her feet before standing up. "I'm going to get some water. Be back in a sec."

"Okay." She mumbled, beginning to doze off.

Percy was coming down the hall just as I shut the door behind me.

He took a step towards me. "Sweetheart."

"Hey." I avoided his extraordinary eyes and face, because, well, I was having a hard time not recalling what his mouth had felt on mine earlier. "Where, um, so what have you been doing?"

"Patrolling. Just in case that monster/Vice principal shows up." As I stared at the wood floor, I could feel his gaze on my face and the heat from his body. He stood close, too close. "Everything is all quiet on the western front."

I cracked a smile. "Nice reference."

"It's my favorite book, actually."

My head jerked toward his, narrowly missing a collision. I hid my surprise. "I didn't know you knew how to read the classics. Actually, I didn't know you knew how to read."

A lazy smirk appear, and I swore on baby Zeus that he had somehow managed to get closer. Our legs touched. His shoulder brushed my arm. "Well, I usually prefer books with picture and simple sentences, but sometimes I step out of the box."

Unable to help it, I laughed. "Let me guess, your favorite kind of picture book is the one you can color in?"

"I never stay in the lines." Percy winked.

"Of course not." I looked away, swallowing. Sometimes it was too easy to fall into the easy banter with him, too damn easy to imagine doing this with him every night. Teasing. Laughing. Getting in way over my head. "I've got...to go."

He swung around. "Where are you headed?"

"To get water." I answered, walking towards the cafeteria.

Percy walked beside me, grinning. "No problem."

Before I could frown, he snapped his fingers, and the pipes below us screeched. The sudden trembling caused me to lose my balance, falling. The next thing I knew, he scooped me up into his arms. My heart leaped into my throat. "Percy-"

The pipes stopped creaking. "Did I tell you I carried you all the way back to your cabin the night you were sick? Thought that was a dream, huh? Nope. Real." He walked the hall as I stared wide-eyed at him. "Twice in one week. We're making this a habit."

When reached the cafeteria doors, he set me down then disappeared inside, reappearing with a bottle of water.

"Thanks." I took the bottle from his outstretched hand. Once more, he scooped me up and walked back to my dorm. I hope no one saw us.

My cheeks felt numb. "You...going to put me down?"

"Eventually." Our eyes met. There was a tender look in his eyes that warmed and frightened me. "Been thinking about our bet? Wanna give in now?"

Annnnd he totally ruined that tender moment. "Put me down, Percy."

He placed me on my feet, but his arms were still around me, and I had no idea what to say. "I've been thinking."

"You think?" I retorted.

A small smile appeared on his lips. "This bet isn't fair to you. Christmas day? Hell, I'll have you admitting your undying devotion to me by Thanksgiving."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure I'll hold out until Halloween."

"That was yesterday."

"Exactly."

Laughing under his breath, he reached forward, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. The back of his knuckles brushed my cheek and I pressed my lips together to stop a sigh. Warmth blossomed in my chest, having nothing to do with the simple touch.

It had everything to do with the ache in his gaze. Moments passed in silence. "You remind of my mother."

"Your mom?" I asked, puzzled.

He seemed to hesitate before answering. "Yes. She was brave and strong. My dad-Poseidon-he, um, once said she never put up with his shit. She was a clear sighted mortal and when they first met, she noticed his trident and called him out for it. You don't put up with my shit either, Thalia. I-I think I kind of like that."

A knot formed in my throat. "And your mom-what happened to her?"

Percy's eyes burned golden and I stared at the wall behind him for a long moment. I felt restrained, unable to move. Every breath I took was slow, shallow. Suddenly, a wave of release washed through me and when I tilted my head to glance up at Percy, he was gone.

Placing my hand against my chest, I stood there and tried to make sense of what just happened. He was so close to opening up to me and I was more than ready to hear him. Seconds ago, I wanted to unravel the mystery that was Percy Jackson. For a moment, a crazy moment, there had been something infinitely more than mad animal lust between us.

And it scared me.

I opened the door, Annabeth was fast asleep. I sat on my bed, trying to forget about what had just happened and focus on my history homework. Hours later, I felt the weird warmth that was becoming increasingly familiar creep across my neck. Closing the textbook, I hopped off the bed and crept toward the window. The full moon lit everything in a pale, silvery glow.

My gaze drifting over the ground below. I didn't see anyone. A yearning sparked inside my chest. I pulled the curtain back farther and pressed my forehead against the cool glass. I couldn't understand or explain how I knew, but I did. Somewhere, hidden in the shadows, was Percy.

And every part of my being wanted- _needed-_ to go to him. The ache that had been in his eyes...it was so much, going beyond him and me. More than what I undoubtedly could wrap my head around.

Denying that desire was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but I let the curtain slip free and went back to my bed. As I opened my history book again, I focused on my chapter.

Christmas day? Wasn't going to happen.

 **Month Two~November**

Curled up on my bed after school on a Thursday, Bianca Di Angelo toyed with a ring on her finger. She had come over after class and we had been talking for a while. I noticed she didn't remember much of her past. Every time I asked her about her life before she enrolled at Westoverhall, she seemed confused-as if someone had tampered with her memory. In an attempt to figure out her godly parent, I asked about her parents. She said that her mother had died and she'd never met her father. That narrowed it down to a god but I tried to match her personality to a god and it wasn't quite working out.

"So the other day I was sleeping, right?" Bianca's voice caught my attention and I turned to face her, nodding for her to continue. "And then the pipes went crazy. I thought there was an earthquake but it was over as quickly as it started. That was weird, I don't think that's ever happened here before."

My face blanched. "Yeah, I felt it too. I have no idea what that was."

Bianca pulled her knees to her chest. "I was about freak out-not a big fan of water, you know?"

"Oh, I know." I replied. Well, that ruled out Poseidon as her godly parent.

A moment of silence passed before the door knob rattled and Annabeth came in, smiling. "Hey Bianca, hey Thalia."

"Hi." We greeted.

"Where have you been?" Bianca asked.

Annabeth ran a hand through her hair. "I was at the library with Lee. We left notes in our favorite books to future readers."

"That's really romantic, Annabeth." Bianca said.

I scoffed. "That's really nerdy, Annabeth."

"Each to his own, Thalia." Annabeth wagged a brow at me before sitting down on her bed. "For our first date, we went around with sidewalk chalk and drew hearts with calculus equations on random things. I know it sounds nerdy and all, but I had a really good time."

"That's nice," Bianca commented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where did you guys met?"

Annabeth's eyes flashed and I sucked in a sharp breath.

"We m-met at a summer camp." She answered.

My heart began racing, wondering if Bianca would ask any questions about camp.

"Cool." She said and a wave of relief washed through me. "How long how you been together?"

"Almost four months." Annabeth leaned forward, cocking her head to the side. "Anyway, enough about me and Lee. Any guys in your life, Bianca?"

"No, unless you want to count Nico." I snickered at that then she continued. "I'm not really into guys...or anyone, really. I think I like it better when it's just me and Nico."

"Keep it that way." I advised her. "Boys are so not worth all the trouble."

Annabeth lifted a brow. "You mean _Percy's_ not worth the trouble."

"Shut it, nerd." I gave her a dirty look. "Nope, Percy's not even worth the air I breathe."

"You keep telling yourself that..." The blonde laughed and Bianca joined in.

"I will." I said adamantly.

* * *

Over the next month, things went quite well. We all bonded with the Di Angelos, there was no sign of the monster/vice principal, and Percy had been only mildly annoying. He occasionally reminded me of out 'bet' but other than that, he was actually a decent person.

It was a Sunday, and I was finishing up an essay for English. Annabeth had gone out with Lee, Nico went on a field trip, Bianca was working on research project with Grover. As the sun set outside, I picked a radio station that offered hits from the eighties, I turned it up loud enough I couldn't hear my own thoughts. There was laundry that needed to be done and a kitchen that could use a good scrubbing. I changed into a pair of comfy sleep shorts, little reindeer-covered socks that reached my knees, and a long sleeve thermal.

I looked like a hot mess.

Running through the room, I gathered all the clothes, sliding at times on the hardwood floors. I dumped a load into the washer and started singing along to one of the songs. " _In touch with the ground. I'm on the hunt. I'm after you."_

I scooted out of the laundry room and skipped down the hallway, arms flaying around my head. " _A scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found. And I'm hungry like the wolf. Something on a line, it's discord and rhyme-whatever, whatever, la la la-Mouth is alive, all running inside, and I'm hungry like the-"_ Warmth spread down my neck.

"It's actually, ' _I howl and I whine. I'm after you,'_ and not la la or whatever."

Startled by the deep voice, I shrieked and whipped around. My foot slipped on a section of well cleaned wood and my butt smacked on the floor.

"Sweet baby Zeus," I gasped, clutching my chest. "I think I'm having a heart attack."

"And I think you broke your butt." Laughter filled Percy's voice.

I remained sprawled on the floor, trying to catch my breath. "What the hell? Do you just walk into people's dorms?"

"And listen to girls absolutely butcher a song in a matter of a seconds? Well, yes, I make a habit of it. Actually, I knocked several times, but I heard your... _singing_ and your door was unlocked." He shrugged. "So I just let myself in."

"I can see that." I stood, wincing. "Oh man, maybe I did break my butt."

"I hope not. I'm kind of partial to your butt." He flashed a smile. "Your face is pretty red. Sure you didn't smack that on the way down?"

I groaned. "I hate you."

"Nah, I don't think you do." His gaze went over me, down to my toes. His brows inched. "Nice socks."

I rubbed my backside. "Do you need something?"

He leaned against the wall, shoving his hands into his jeans. "No, I don't need something."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to be." He nodded at the mop in the corner. "Why are you doing chores on a sunday night?"

"I'm obviously that lame." I waved my hand and an open widow closed.

"That's true. Oh, listen!" His eyes shone. "It's 'Eye of the Tiger.' Do you want to sing to that? Maybe jog up the stairs and pump your fists in the air?"

"Percy." I shuffled past him, and picked up the remote on top of the TV, turning the song down. "Seriously, what do you want?"

He was directly behind me, forcing me to take an uneasy step back. Being that close to him did funny, bad things to me.

"Nothing. If you haven't noticed yet, I've been trying to clean up my act this month. I haven't thought about strangling Nico today at all." Percy smiled proudly then cocked his head. "Then again, he's been away on that field trip all day."

He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm trying not to be a douche bag."

A lump formed in my throat. "You're not _that_ bad."

He arched a brow.

"Okay, you're prone to moments of epic dickdom, but you're not bad." I paused. "Do you want to know what I honestly think?"

"Thalia, if you don't have anything nice to say-don't say it at all."

I laughed. "There's a really nice guy under the jerk. I've seen glimpses of him. So while I probably want to beat the crap out of you most of the time, I really don't think you're a bad guy."

"There it is." Percy chuckled, a solemn expression on his face. "You're choosing to see the good in me when you know there's equally, dare I say more, bad in me. I'm half titan, Thalia. I have bad blood."

"And?" I rose an eyebrow. "You don't think I don't have temptations from the dark side? That's the thing about being Zeus' kid-I'm prideful and power hungry. I would betray all my friends and family if offered enough power."

My right hand tightened into a fist. "We all have our demons, Percy. You may have more than others but at the end of the day, you're here. You're on the right side. The _good_ side."

Percy reached out and curled his fingers around my fist, static passing from my hand to his. "Do you truly believe that we're on the right side or are you only saying that because your family is on this side?"

"Yes." I answered, no hesitation.

"Okay. I trust you. We're on the right side." Percy squeezed my hand and then released it. Leaning against the bed frame, he reached one arm back and rested his head against his curved elbow. "I want to know something."

I frowned and sat down on the bed, stretching out my right leg in small space he didn't occupy. "What?"

"How often do you run around singing off-key?" he asked seriously.

I kicked at him, but he caught my toes. "You can leave now."

"I seriously love these socks."

"Give me back my foot." I demanded.

"It's not so much the fact that they've got reindeer on them or that they go all the way up to your knees."

"What vast distance." I commented.

Percy snorted before continuing. "But it's the fact that they're like tiny mittens on your feet."

Rolling my eyes, I wiggled my toes. "I like them like that. And don't you dare knock them. I will kick you off the bed."

He raised a brow and continued to inspect them. "Sock mittens, huh? Never seen anything like it."

I pulled my foot out of his grasp. "Whatever. I'm sure there are more cornier things than my socks. Don't judge me. It's the only think I like about the holidays."

"The only thing?"

"Yeah, I've never really celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or any holiday, really." I looked away for a moment. "M-my mom-she wasn't really big on holidays. Wasn't really around, actually."

I think Percy could tell that I was getting uncomfortable so he shrugged, changing the subject. "I was kind of surprised when I was in your cabin the day you were sick."

"I'm not sure I want to know about what."

"You had a Fall out Boy poster on the wall. No Green Day anywhere."

"That's because you haven't seen my Vinyl record collection. It's pretty much all Green Day. I'm also a huge fan of Twenty one pilots."

He looked surprised, launching into the history of Twenty One pilots, his favorite band. I was genuinely surprised that we had the same tastes. We argued over which Godfather movie was the best (It's part II, for the record) and which reality show was the stupidest. Hours flew by, and I learned more about Percy. And there was that different side of him, the one I'd glimpsed a few times in the past. He was relaxed, friendly and even playful without making me want to bash him upside the head. We did argue over a few things, a bit heatedly, but he wasn't a jerk.

It all suddenly felt _easy,_ and that scared the crap out of me. It was past three a.m. by the time I'd realized how long we'd been talking. I pulled my tired gaze off the clock and looked at him. His eyes had drifted shut and his chest rose and fell evenly.

Percy looked so...peaceful. Not wanting to wake him, I pulled a blanket from Annabeth's bed and carefully spread it over him. I was surprised she wasn't back yet. I grabbed a smaller quilt and tucked it around my legs. I could've woken him, but I didn't have it in me. And yeah, there was a teeny, tiny-I'm talking _real_ tiny- part of me that didn't want him to leave. I didn't know what that meant for me.

"Thank you," He murmured lazily.

My eyes widened. "I thought you were asleep."

"Almost, but you're staring at me."

I flushed. "I am not."

Percy pried one eye open. "You always blush when you lie."

"Do not." I felt the flush spread down my neck.

"If you keep lying, I think I will have to leave," he threatened halfheartedly, closing his eyes. "I don't feel like my virtue is safe."

"Yeah right." I smiled, snuggling down in my corner of the bed. "You do realize we'll get in so much trouble if we're caught together in here, right?"

"Didn't think you were one to shy away from danger." Percy's eyes opened and held mine.

"I'm not." There was a spike of something-excitement?-in my lower stomach as the silence stretched out for what felt like an eternity.

"Good." Percy winked before closing those extraordinary eyes once more.

* * *

When I woke up on Monday morning, I wasn't sure exactly how things were going to play out when I saw Percy in class. He'd cleared out of the dorm while I was asleep. Spending time with him hadn't really changed anything between Percy and me. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. It was just a good moment in a long string of bad ones. And I had bigger and better things to think about. Like why hadn't the Monster/Vice Principle hadn't attacked us yet or how we'd get the Di Angelos to camp.

But my thoughts kept straying back to Percy, and a deep fluttering started in my stomach when I thought about us side by side on the bed.

Warmth tingled over my neck while Bianca was telling me about a book she was reading. I kept my eyes glued to her, but was well aware of the fact that Percy was there.

He took his seat behind me. A second later, something I'd oddly missed in a messed-up way happened. Percy poked me in the back with his pen.

Bianca's brows arched, but she wisely said nothing as I twisted around. "Yes?"

His half grin was all too familiar. "Reindeer socks today?"

"No. Lightning bolts."

"How fitting." He commented, toying with his ball point pen. "Sock mittens?"

"Regular," I said, fighting a stupid grin.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that." He tapped his pen on the edge of his desk. "Regular socks just seem so boring after seeing the reindeer socks."

Bianca cleared her throat. "Reindeer socks?"

"She has these socks that have reindeer on them and are kind of like a mitten for the toes." he explained.

"Oh, I have a pair like that," Bianca grinned. "Mine have stripes on them. Love them in the winter."

I threw Percy a smug look. My socks _were_ cool.

Annabeth frowned, joining the conversation. "Am I the only person who is wondering how you saw her socks?"

"I see lots of things." Percy's lips pulled up at one corner.

I shook my head frantically. "No, he doesn't. He hardly sees anything."

"Blushing," he said, pointing at my cheeks with his pen.

"Shut up," I said, fighting a grin.

"Anyway," Annabeth started, looking at us straight in the eye. "There's a winter dance coming up. Word is that the administration will be there-including the Vice Principal."

Percy and I nodded but Bianca frowned.

"What's so important about the Vice Principal?" She asked.

"Um, well..." I looked at the other two demigods for assistance.

"Lee wants to start an archery club." Annabeth finished quickly. "He figured he'd ask the vice principal about it."

"He does talk about archery sometimes." Bianca added, buying the lie.

"Yeah, it's kind of in his blood." Percy winked at Annabeth.

"So you guys are coming, correct?" Annabeth asked.

"Sure." I confirmed.

Percy poked my cheek with his pen. "I'll be there."

* * *

When thanksgiving arrived, the school threw a banquet of some sorts. Annabeth and Lee invited me to come with them to the cafeteria but I wasn't feeling it. Instead, I sat in my dorm room, alone.

Around six evening, I felt that now-oh-so-familiar tingle on the back of my neck right before Percy knocked. A ball of confusing feelings raged inside me as I hurried to the door.

The first thing I noticed was the large box beside him, and then the scent of roasted turkey and yams.

"Hey," he said holding a stack of covered plates. "Happy Thanksgiving."

I blinked slowly. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"I come bearing gifts in the form of nutrition." He held up the plates, wiggling them.

I stepped aside, waving my hand to summon the wind. The box lifted and landed on the kitchen counter.

As I shut the door, Percy grinned. "Nice trick."

"Thanks. It's kind of in my blood."

"I brought a little of everything." He headed toward the kitchen. "There's turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, green bean casserole, some kind of apple crisp thing and pumpkin-Sweetheart? Are you coming?"

Peeling myself away from the door, I went into the kitchen. He had pulled out a small table and was setting the table, uncovering the dishes. I...I didn't know what to think.

I shuffled to the table and sat, watching him with eyes that were blurry. He made me a plate and sat beside me. I cleared my throat. "Percy, I...I don't know what to say, but thank you."

"Thanks aren't necessary," he said. "I didn't want you to be alone."

Lowering my gaze before he could see the tears gathering in my eyes, I focused on the food.

He nudged me with his knee under the table. "Dig in before it gets cold."

The food was divine. Throughout our little makeshift dinner, I ate everything on my plate, including second helpings.

By the time I stabbed the pumpkin pie with my fork, I was starting to believe that there was something more than just the connection propelling him. That maybe he did care for me, because I was able to fight it-sort of-and I know damn well that Percy could if he wanted.

Maybe he just didn't want to.

Cleaning up dinner was a strangely intimate experience. Our elbows brushed several times. Amiable silence descended as we washed the dishes, side by side. My cheeks felt flushed. My thoughts were way too giddy.

I followed Percy to the door afterward. "I grew up in an orphanage. We never did much for thanksgiving so this in a way, has been my first Thanksgiving. And, um, I don't think there was any one else I would've wanted to spend it with."

That was it. The lump in my throat was back, but there was no stopping it this time. I raced toward the bathroom, tears sliding down my cheeks. Emotion clogged my throat as I wiped under my eyes.

Percy appeared in front of me, blocking the bathroom door. His eyes were wide, bright amber. I tried to turn away but he quickly enveloped me in his strong arms. "I didn't do this to make you cry, Thalia."

"I know," I sniffled. "It's just..."

"It's just what?" He cupped my cheeks, his thumbs brushing away the tears. My skin tingled from the contact. "Sweetheart?"

"I don't think you know how much...something like this means to me." I took a deep breath, but the stupid tears kept falling. "Not one's really cared to do anything like this for me before-not even my mom. And I'm sorry to cry, because I'm not sad. I just didn't expect this."

"It's okay." Percy tugged me forward, and I went. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I buried my face into the front of his shirt. "I get it. Good tears and all."

There was something warm and right about being in his arms. And I wanted to deny it but for the first time. I stopped-I just _stopped._ Even if Percy saw me as one giant Rubik's cube he had to crack or if it was the bond mojo, it didn't matter. Not right now. I grabbed a handful of his shirt and held on. He may have thought he knew how much this meant to me, but he really didn't. Percy would never know.

I lifted my head and reached up, clasping his smooth cheeks. With his help, I brought his lips to mine and kissed him. It was a quick and innocent kiss, but I felt the zing all the way to my toes. "Thank you. I really mean it. Thank you."

He brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek, smoothing the last of my tears away. "Don't let anyone know about my sweet side. I have a reputation to keep up."

I laughed as he turned around, a hand on the door knob. He opened his mouth as if to something more but instead nodded at me then left. The door closed and although I was alone, for the first time in years, I wasn't lonely.

 **Month three~December**

Everybody knew each other at Westover hall. Couples had been together their entire high school stint. Friends were shacking up with another to go to the dance. And I, having no real connection to anyone, seemed dateless. Total killer for the self-esteem. After spending Chemistry class ignoring Percy's attempts to tick me off-he had gone back to his douche bag lifestyle recently but I liked it that way, he was easier to hate-Logan appeared by my locker while I switched out one heavy, useless book for another heavy, useless book.

"Hey," I said, smiling. "You look like you fell asleep in class today."

He laughed. "I kind of did. And I was dreaming about Chemical Nomenclature and Stoichiometry. It was all very frightening."

I laughed, shoving the textbook into my backpack as I nudged my locker door shut with my hip. "I can imagine."

Logan Lerman **(Fight me)** was in my Chemistry class so whenever I was avoiding the boy the behind me, I talked to him. He wasn't bad looking. Not if you had a thing for big, burly jocks who looked like they tossed bales of hay during the summer. He had arms the size of tree trunks and a charming-enough smile. Pretty blue eyes, too, and when he smiled, the skin around those baby blues crinkled. But his eyes weren't gold, his lips not poetic.

"I've never seen you at any of our games," he said, his skin doing that crinkly thing. "Not a fan of football?"

Logan was the starting fullback or lineback. Honestly, I had no clue.

"I went to one," I told him. And I'd left at halftime with Annabeth. Both of us had been bored out of our minds. "I'm kind of into overall sports-like the Olympics. Football, however, isn't my scene."

I expected him to leave after that comment because football was like a religion around here, but he leaned against the locker next to me, folding his arms over his chest. "So, I was wondering if you had plans next Saturday."

My eyes went up to the red and black banner above his head. Next Saturday was the Winter Formal dance. "Just planning on going to the dance."

"With anyone?" He asked.

I shook my head, adjusting my backpack strap.

Logan looked relieved. "Would you like to go? Together?"

My first thought was to say no. I barely knew the guy, and I thought he'd been dating one of the limber cheerleaders, and I wasn't interested in him. Besides, I was going to dance to scout out the Vice Principal and possibly take him down. I didn't want to leave him hanging just in case the monster tried something. Then a horrible thought popped into my head. I couldn't wait to see Percy's face when he learned I had a date. I told Logan yes, and we exchanged dorm numbers and that was that. At lunch, I broke the news to Annabeth, thinking she'd be excited.

"Logan asked you to the dance?" Annabeth's mouth had dropped open. "Did you say yes?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and I know we have to help Lee ask the Vice Principal about the archery club but I'll find a way to keep Logan occupied. I've got this."

"Logan has a reputation," Bianca winced, eyeing me over the lunch table. "Like he wants to be the Westoverhall bicycle-he wants to give everyone a ride."

"Well I'll just make sure not to be one of his bicyhoes." I poked the salad around my plate. "And he was kind of cute when he asked."

"Him and Nadia broke up a week or so ago," Bianca said. "Supposedly, he was cheating on her with Lydia."

Ah, Nadia. That was the limber cheerleader's name. "Does he have a thing for girls' names that end in A?"

Bianca snorted. "Aw, just like you. It's a match made in heaven."

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, the school's letting us have this afternoon off. We should get an Uber and head to the mall for dresses."

"Deal." Annabeth and Bianca agreed.

When I left after school that day, I went to the back of the parking lot, waiting for my two friends and the Uber to arrive. The lot lined up with the track and football field, which was empty. Cold wind whipped down, blasting the entire area of the gravel. I wanted to command it to stop but even though the lot was desert, I couldn't risk a possible exposure.

"Thalia!"

I turned around, recognizing the deep voice. My heart leapt in my throat. I didn't feel the wind anymore. Squeezing the strap on my bag, I waited for him to catch up to me.

Percy stopped in front of me and reached out, fixing the twisted strap on my bag. "A little windy out here, isn't it?"

Caught off guard by the gesture, it took me a moment to respond. "Yeah, a bit."

Percy towered over me, his hands shoved into his pockets. There was a dark look to his gaze, a tightness to his lips.

My stomach dropped a little. "Is everything okay? It's not...?"

"No," Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing...uh, godly related."

"Good." I breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me there for a second."

He twisted toward me, and like that, there were only a few inches between us. "I hear you're going with Logan Lerman to the dance."

I pushed back a strand of hair that blew across my face. The wind knocked it right back. "News travels fast."

"Like Hermes." He reached out again, but this time he caught the piece of hair and tucked it behind my ear. His knuckles brushed against my cheek. The slight touch brought that weird tingle along with a slight shiver. "I didn't know that you liked him."

"I don't but he's not bad," I said. Kids were rolling out on the track, stretching and getting ready to run. "He's kind of nice, and he asked me."

"You're going with him because he asked you?"

Isn't that how things worked? I nodded. He didn't immediately respond so I glanced around the parking lot, looking for the Uber or my friends. "Are you asking anyone?"

Percy inched closer, his knee brushing my thigh. "Does it matter?"

I bit back a string of curses. "Not really."

His body angled toward me. "You shouldn't go with someone just because he asked you."

I glanced at the pencil in my pocket, wondering if I could stab him in the eyeball with it. "I don't see why this has anything to do with you."

"We need you to help take down the Vice Principal and get the Di Angelos to safety. When it's go time, I can't have you taking up time to find an excuse to tell Landry."

"His name is Logan." I shook my head. "And when the time comes, I'll just lie and say I'm going to the bathroom. Save your breath, Percy. I'm not backing out because you have a problem with it."

Cursing under his breath, he gritted his teeth. "I don't want to see you get into any kind of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" I scoffed.

One dark eyebrow arched. "Knowing you, I can't even begin to imagine how much trouble you'd get in."

"Oh yeah, because Logan's not a mortal and instead is a son of Poseidon and Kronos out to annoy me to death."

"You are so frustrating," he snapped, eyes flaring with irritation. "He had a reputation, Thalia. I want you to be careful."

Before I could respond, the Uber pulled up and Annabeth and Bianca were already in the backseat.

I pushed past Percy and opened the passenger door. "Nothing is going to happen, Percy. I can take care of myself." With that, I got in and closed the door. Annabeth and Bianca waved a goodbye to Percy and the car backed out of the lot, leaving Percy in the dust.

It didn't take us long to find the dress shop we wanted to go to. I'd expected there to be nothing left to pick from when we walked into Sherri Hill, but their racks were full. Bianca already had an idea of what she wanted: a dark mid thigh-length dress with maybe some embossment or flowers on it. Annabeth seemed to gravitate towards short, gray dresses with an open back and sleeves. I wanted to find a dress that didn't look like it'd been bedazzled by a grandmother or swallowed by a bow factory.

Annabeth ended up picking up a red Grecian-style dress for me that cinched under the waist and hung lose around my hips and legs. It had a scallop neckline and more importantly, pockets.

Bianca found herself a black halter top dress and eyed herself in the mirror while Annabeth tried on a knee length silver dress she'd found. Taking her hair out of the cap she usually had on, Bianca smiled sheepishly. "What do you think, Thalia?"

"You look hot," I told her. And she did. She had the perfect figure for the dress.

Annabeth stepped out, looking absolutely stunning in silver. The sleeves on the dress were lace and the open back hit just shy of her waist. She took one good look at herself before turning to us, "We like?"

"We like." Bianca and I confirmed.

Annabeth nodded proudly, as if she had solved some math equation then went back in to change.

When it came my turn to try my dress on, I had to give it to had a remarkable eye for style. The dress fit my body like it had been made for me. I twisted in front of the mirror, checking out the back. Not too bad.

"You should pull your hair up," Bianca said, appearing beside me. She reached up, artfully twisting my shoulder length hair atop my head. "You have such a long neck. Show it off. I can do it for you if you like and your makeup, too."

I nodded. "Thank you. I'm not a huge dress fan but this one is really nice."

Bianca let go of my hair and nodded over to the shoe racks. "Now you need shoes."

"In accordance with the color scheme and pattern, anything clear or red would work." Annabeth said.

I poked around the shoes, picking a pair of red heels. They were divine and not too high-just in case I had to run. After trying them on for size, I went back into the changing room and changed into regular clothes.

When I got out, Annabeth and Bianca had chosen their shoes and were ready to roll.

At checkout, I noticed Annabeth's shoes-black converse. "Converse at a formal dance?" I asked.

Annabeth winked. "Thought I'd match with Lee."

I shrugged and after we checked out, we went to the parking lot where the Uber was waiting for us. We folded up our dresses carefully and placed them in the trunk while Bianca climbed in the backseat. Shutting the trunk, Annabeth faced me. A small smile was on her face.

"I didn't want to tell you this because I'm sure you would've changed your mind about the dress."

"What?" I frowned. "Does it make my butt look big?"

She laughed. "No. You looked stunning in it."

"Then what's up?"

Her smile turned downright mischievous. "Oh, you know, just that the color red is Percy's favorite."

* * *

The night of the dance I was full of nerves. A huge part of me wanted to call Logan and cancel it, but then I remembered we had to take down the Vice Principal tonight. This was night he'd surely try to take the Di Angelos. Not to mention that Bianca had done an outstanding job making me look pretty. My hair had been curled and twisted up, exposing my neck. A few strategically placed curls hung over my temples and rested on my bare shoulders. She'd even sprayed this vanilla-scented glittery stuff in my hair, so when I turned, my hair shimmered. My eyes were a bright blue due to the smoky outline she had given them. I was also pretty sure she'd applied fake eyelashes, because my lashes had never been this long or thick. As a final touch before she went to get Nico ready for the dance was a bit of lip gloss, turning my lips a shade of ruby. I inspected myself in the mirror and it was like staring at a stranger, and I made a mental note to wear makeup more often.

When I came out of the bathroom, there was knock on the door. Logan stood there, dressed in a tux. His eyes, which seemed a little bleary, drifted down me in a way that made my skin turn the color of my dress.

"You look hot," he said thrusting out a corsage that went around my wrist.

I winced, taking the corsage and letting him in. "Thanks." I slipped the corsage on and grabbed a leather jacket from the closet. The dress had seemed fine earlier, but now with Logan practically drooling my my cleavage I felt uncomfortable.

As we walked down the hallway toward the gym, Logan took one more look at me.

"Man, you do look hot." He popped a breath mint in his mouth.

I hoped he wasn't planning to use those breath mints later. If so, may the gods help him. "Thanks. You look nice too."

That was the extent of our conversation. Turns out Logan wasn't a witty conversationalist. Shocking. The long walk down the stairs and to the gym was long and awkward, and I was gripping my leather jacket like no there was no tomorrow. Several times he glanced over, smiled, and popped another breath mint. As we descended the stairs, I found out why he was popping so many mints. Logan pulled a silver flash from the inside of his tux and took a long swing. He offered it to me.

He was drinking. This was already starting off great. I declined, already making plans to ditch him even before Operation Find Vice Principal/Monster began. I wasn't a big fan of drinking, especially since alcohol had contributed to my mom's death.

Seeming not to care, he shoved it back in his jacket. "Hold up. I'll help you down."

He hopped down to landing after the stairs and helped me down the last steps. "Thank you."

"No problem." Logan took my hand and led me to the gymnasium.

Outside, I could her the steady thump of music from the gym. We stopped before the fogged-over doors, and Logan pulled me toward him an awkward hug.

"I'm glad you wanted to go to the dance with me," he said, his breath minted and tinged with the harsh smell of liquor.

"Same here," I said, trying to mean it. I placed my hands on his burly chest and pushed back. "We should go in."

Smiling, he slid his arms away. One of his hands slipped down my back, over the curve of my hip. I stiffened and told myself it was an accident. It had to be. If he truly meant to cop a feel like that, I was going to cop a feel by kicking strategically between his legs. The gym had been converted over to an autumn themed dance. Strings of fall foliage hung from the ceilings and covered the doors. There were pumpkins and cornucopia horns full of leaves stacked in the corners and lining the stage. As soon as we stepped inside, we were surrounded by Logan's friends. Some of the looked me over and gave Logan a not-so-discreet high five or clap on the back. It was like now they could tell I had boobs, I was suddenly cool. Boys could be so juvenile. While they passed around the flask that Logan had brought in, I exchanged strained greetings with the other guys' dates. They were all cheerleaders. Yawn. I scanned the crowd, spying Bianca at a table.

"I'll be right back."

Before Logan could stop me, I darted off toward her. I smiled. "You look gorgeous." I had to yell to be heard over the music.

"So do you!" She gave me a quick hug then pulled back. "Is he behaving himself?"

"So far. Do you mind?" I placed my jacket on the table when she shook her head. "They did a nice job on this."

Bianca nodded. "Still a gym, though." She laughed. "It has that smell."

"That's true." I pulled the girl onto the dance floor. "Let's dance!" We danced with each other, giggling and being plain out stupid. Another girl-Alexandra Daddario-joined us, smiling. Alexandra danced like a double-jointed hooker, and I think Bianca did the running man at one point. I caught a glimpse of Annabeth talking to Lee near the stage. Giving the girls a quick wave, I made my way over to them. "Annabeth!"

She turned toward me, her gray eyes glistening under the dazzling lights. "Hey!"

Lee gave me a smile before stalking off into the throng of dancers. "Any eyes on the Vice Principal?"

"Yeah, we've even got a name-Dr. Thorn. His eyes are multi colored-blue and brown. He looks human so don't be fooled. He hadn't tried anything yet but regardless, we have to get the kids to camp tonight."

"Got it."

After a minute, Annabeth smiled. "Anyway, you look great! That dress is to die for."

"Thanks. You chose well."

Annabeth laughed, pulling me into a tight hug. "How's your date?"

I glanced around, not seeing him. "Probably drunk somewhere."

"Oh no." She brushed a strand of hair back. She'd worn her hair down and straightened it so that it cascaded over her shoulders. "Bad?"

"Not yet. Anyway, dance?" I started pulling her toward the dance floor.

Annabeth and I skirted the edge of the dance floor, hand in hand. I was looking for Bianca in the mess, but then I came to a complete standstill. There was a small candle covered in glass on a white table. It sent a soft flickering glow over Percy's high cheek bones and full lips. Percy's stare was so concentrated I took an unintentional step back, but we didn't break eye contact. A craving unfurled deep in my stomach, shooting through me like heated lightning, and that-that was the kind of feeling you couldn't force, couldn't even replicate even if you wanted. Then Logan was in front of me, capturing my hand and pulling me away from Annabeth and onto the dance floor. It wasn't a slow dance, but he wrapped his beefy arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest anyway. The hard edge of his flask cut into my ribs.

"You disappeared on me," he said, his lips brushing my ear, dousing my neck in alcohol fumes. "I thought you up and left me."

"No, I saw friends." I tried pulling back, but I was stuck to him. "Where are your friends?"

"Huh?" he yelled, unable to hear me as the music increased.

"Your friends?" I asked again. One of his hands was low on my back, his finger resting on the flare of my bum.

"Don't know. Somewhere." He answered and I maneuvered his hand off my rear.

I didn't bother responding. I was too busy avoiding his hands, which were _everywhere._ We danced another song before I could successfully extract myself, and the only reason I could was because Annabeth saved me. She informed me that Grover had got eyes on the Vice Principal but couldn't identify what kind of monster he was. Annabeth was informing the rest of the group and Lee was keeping eyes on the Di Angelos. I glanced over at Percy who was staring at the floor. Several bathroom breaks and dances later, I ended back up with Logan.

For a mortal, he sure knew how to sneak up on someone. He didn't reek of alcohol this time around, but dammit, his hands were super friendly as we moved in a tight circle. I could feel every last inch of him, and he didn't seem to mind. I was starting to sweat when one of his hands dropped off my shoulder, narrowly avoiding my boob. I jerked back, glaring at him. "Logan."

"What?" He looked innocent. "Sorry. My hand slipped."

His hand slipped my rosy red butt. I looked away, about to turn around and leave him.

"Mind if I cut in?" a deep voice asked from behind me.

Logan's blue eyes widened as I twisted around. Percy stood there, a hard look on his face. He wasn't looking at me. His eyes were focused on Logan as a challenge. As if he dared the boy to say no.

After a tense second, Logan released me. "Perfect timing. I needed to get a drink anyway."

Percy cocked a brow at Logan and then looked at me. "Dance?"

Having no idea what he was up to, I gingerly placed my hands on his shoulders. "This is a surprise."

He didn't say anything as he wrapped one arm around my waist and reached up, taking hold of one my hands. The music slowed down until it seemed to crawl by in a haunting melody about love lost and found again. I stared up into those extraordinary eyes, stunned that he could hold me so...tenderly. My heart thudded as blood rushed to every point in my body. It had to be the dance, the dress-the way he filled out his tux. He pulled me closer.

Excitement and dread warred inside me. The dazzling lights overhead reflected in his midnight hair. "Are you having a good time with Happy Hands?"

I bit down on my lip. "Such a constant smart ass."

He chuckled in my ear, sending shivers through me. His hand rested above my hip, having a totally different impact on me. My skin tingled underneath the chiffon. Percy cleared his throat as he glanced away. "You...you look beautiful, by the way. Really too good to be with that Linus idiot."

"Logan." A blush stole over my skin, and I lowered my gaze. "Are you high?"

"Unfortunately, no I'm not. Though I am curious why you would ask."

"You never say anything nice to me."

"Good point," he sighed. Percy moved a little close and turned his head slightly. His jaw grazed my cheek and I jumped. "I'm not going to bite you. Or grope you. You can relax."

My witty retort died on my lips when he moved his hand from his hip and guided my head to his shoulder. The moment my cheek touched his tux covered shoulder, there was a dizzying rushed of sensations. His hand settled on my lower back again and we moved to the music. After awhile, he started humming under his breath, and I closed my eyes.

This...this wasn't nice. It was thrilling.

"Seriously, how's your date going?" he asked.

I smiled. "He's a little friendly."

"That's what I thought." He turned his head, and for a moment his chin rested against my hair, then he lifted his head. "I warned you about him."

"Percy," I said softly, wanting him not to ruin the mood. There was something peaceful about this. "I have him under control."

He snorted. "Sure looks like it, Sweetheart. His hands were moving so fast I was beginning to question if he was human or not."

I stiffened, my eyes opening. I counted to ten. I made it to three before he spoke again.

His hand tightened around mine. "Gods, you're way out of your league with that Lincoln guy."

"Logan." I corrected, pulling back to look up at him. We'd stopped dancing, oblivious to the other couples. Disbelief coursed through me. "Excuse me? I'm out of my league?"

His eyes narrowed. "You heard me."

"Whatever, Percy." My hand curled into a useless fist against his chest. "I'm not fighting with you today."

Frustrated, I looked through the crowd for my friends. Suddenly, I noticed that Bianca and Nico had disappeared.

"Percy?" I tapped him on the shoulder, the anger escaping my body. "They're gone. Bianca and Nico-they're gone."

Percy followed my gaze and shook his head. "Shit! Where's Annabeth and Lee?"

I glanced around for any sign of the blonde and the dark haired boy. "I don't know but there's Grover-he's coming towards us now."

The satyr had managed to weave through the crowd, panting when he came near. "Thorn is gone. I can barely smell him or the kids with all the people in here."

"We need to warn Annabeth and Lee." Percy said urgently, craning his neck to look for them.

"I'll get them." Grover nodded his head toward the exit. "You guys go get Thorn."

Percy and I nodded, weaving past the crowd and toward the exit. I stroked my bracelet, ready for it to transform in my shield, Aegis, whenever I needed it. I checked that I had my mace canister which also transformed but into a sword. As soon as we were out of the sight of the crowd, I kicked my heels off and Percy undid his tie.

"I'm taller than you again." he commented smugly.

"Whatever." I grinned stupidly, then kept running. At the end of the hallway, Annabeth and Lee joined us. Annabeth gripped her knife and Lee shouldered his quiver and arrow. Grover trotted behind them, bleating nervously.

He looked like a wreck and I knew getting these kids to camp was important to him. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened to me six years ago and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"He's outside-on that cliff." Percy pointed outside the widow, where Thorn had his back to us. "He's got the Di Angelo's cornered."

"Let's go." I ran outside slightly before realizing that I was on a cliff. Super high. Below us, the ocean waves lapped against the sand and I started to feel nauseated.

I was pretty sure I was turning green because Annabeth looked at me worriedly.

"You okay, Thalia?" She asked, her whipping wildly in the wind.

I summoned the winds to calm down which eased my nerves slightly. "I'm doing great."

"Great because there's no time for dialogue." Percy gritted his teeth, clutching his pen.

I frowned, pointing to the pen. "What's up with you and that stupid pen?"

Percy stared at me for a long moment then uncapped it, and it transformed into three foot long sword.

"Oh, that's whats up." I said stupidly. "Hold up, you've been poking with that thing all year-what if uncapped?"

Percy plastered his trade mark lazy grin. "Oops."

I wanted to punch him in the face but Dr. Thorn turned around. His face was ghoulish, but still human-looking. He had perfect white teeth and his brown/blue eyes reflected in the light.

"Ah demigods," He looked at us mischievously. "I thought I smelled more than two. You've been throwing off my scent for the last few months."

Percy, Annabeth, Lee, Grover, and I stepped out into the light, making ourselves visible. We stood in our defensive positions, brandishing our weapons.

"Guys?" Bianca's eyes widened. "What's going on? Why do you guys have swords?"

"Cosplay." Percy grinned.

Annabeth punched him in the gut. "Don't worry, Bianca and Nico. We're going to get you guys out of here-and safe."

I heard a chopping sound and looked up. A helicopter. He was taking the Di Angelos somewhere.

"I'm afraid you all are late." Dr. Thorn looked at us, smiling like a cat that had eaten all the fish in an aquarium. A movement flickered behind him, and a missile launched into the stone wall behind us, pinning Grover back.

Lee rolled away to avoid another missile and glanced behind the monster. "He's got a tail!"

"Great." I muttered, then focused back on Dr. Thorn. "Where are you taking the kids?"

"My dear child, you should be more worried about yourself. You will find out tonight-when you meet the general."

I frowned and glanced at the other half bloods who shrugged as a response.

Percy's face paled. "The G-general?" He stuttered, eyes wide.

Dr. Thorn threw another one of his missiles, this time at me and Percy. He ducked and I rolled away, getting back onto the balls of my feet. Growling, I rushed him with my spear. I barely got a dent in before he swatted me away like a fly. He sent another volley of arrows as I hit the snow and I deflected them with my shield. By this time Lee had managed to unpin Grover and together, they distracted the monster while Percy and Annabeth freed the kids. Lee launched a volley of arrows as an attempt to pin Dr. Thorn's tail and Grover played his reed pipe, causing roots to latch onto the monster's legs.

Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew until his body was that of a lion, his face still human. His tail had become leathery and if possible, more spiky.

"A manticore!" Annabeth yelled.

Nico gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power!"

Percy and Annabeth had managed to get the kids away, towards our side but now we were cornered. I summoned the winds to stall the impending helicopter but they had their guns aimed at us, ready to fire. Things looked pretty bleak, to say the least.

Then I heard a clear, piercing sound: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the nearby woods.

"Dammit!" I stomped my foot, knowing who was coming. "The Hunters!"

The manticore froze. "No, it cannot be."

A group of girls came out to woods, sporting silvery ski parkas were armed with bows.

My favorite hunter stepped forward, that signature silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair. "Nice to see thee too, Thalia."

I gave her my number one salute.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" She asked the younger girl beside her. I sucked in a sharp breath-I just flipped off Artemis' lieutenant in front of the goddess herself. Good job, Thalia.

The auburn hair girl's expression was determined. "Zoë, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these two alive, I shall have them dead!"

He lunged at Percy and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster. She leapt onto the monster's back and drove her knife into mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles as Annabeth clung on for dear life.

"Fie!" Zoë ordered.

"No!" Lee screamed, lunging toward the monster. But the Hunters let their arrows fly. They hit their mark and the manticore staggered backwards, wailing. Then before anyone could react, the monsters with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness. The helicopter sped away, realizing the failed attempt.

"Annabeth!" Lee and I rushed over the edge, desperately looking for the daughter of Athena. Percy decided to take the more drastic route and backed up, as if he were going to hurl himself off the cliff.

"Percy..." I said warningly.

He didn't hear me. His face wall full of anguish and desperation. With a heart-breaking cry, he ran forward, hurling himself off the cliff and toward the sea.

"No!" I yelled, shooting my hand forward and summoning the winds to carry him back. He landed back onto the cliff, gasping. As he tried to get to his feet, I ran over and held him down. When it was quite obvious that I couldn't hold him down, the Hunters joined in, pinning him down.

Artemis turned toward him. "Percy Jackson, I'm afraid your friend is beyond help. You will be of no aid to her if you try to hurl yourself off cliffs."

Despite that, Percy struggled. "Let me go!" He cried, tears streaming his face. "I can't lose her! Not Annabeth, I've already lost _her._ I can't go through this again-I can't."

He grasped my shoulders, a wild look in his eyes. "He's got _her_ too. He's _her_ for years! Now he's got the both of them."

"Percy, stop!" I pushed him back down, snow flying at the impact. "Calm down-we'll find her. I promise."

But that wasn't enough for the son of Kronos and Poseidon, he still continued to struggle. Meanwhile, Grover weaved around, making sure the Di Angelos were alright.

"Where's Lee?" He asked, concerned.

I glanced at the edge of the cliff, where the son of Apollo had been barely a minute ago. He was gone. I gulped. "He must've gone to find Annabeth."

Percy growled. "I have to go help him. We need to find her before he takes her to Tartarus, too."

I frowned. Tartarus? "No, Percy. It's too dangerous-you'll get yourself killed."

"Let me go!" He roared and managed to break through our grasp, running for the cliff again. Before I could stop him, Zoë appeared, her face stern.

"Percy, stop." She commanded, her black eyes clashing with his gold.

The demigod seemed to snap out of it, taking a step backward. "It's you." He whispered quietly.

There was a pained look in her eyes. "It is me."

My nostrils flared and I didn't need a connection to know that those two had history between them. Great.

* * *

 **A/N-Did you finally make it down here? Thank the gods. I used some lines from the Titan's curse because I'm lazy and it's convenient. Disclaimer's on my profile. This week is my spring break so I am trying to prewrite for this story and another, and also revise another story but I'll update on Saturday, and let you guys know how many chapters (hopefully) that I've prewritten for this fic. So yeah, I made Percy and Zoe have a background history. I thought it be funny to watch Thalia spaz out over it and even though, I've got none of it written- I think it'll be good. Yeah, Logan Lerman's a douche in this fic-you butcher my favorite character, you suffer at my hands. Plain and simple. Anyway, check out my poll and leave a favorite, review, or follow if you liked it. See you guys next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N-Hey guys! It's saturday so time for another update. Just a a disclaimer-I do not know how to use thy's or thee or whatever so I'm trying my best to mimic** **Zoë's language but hopefully you guys get it. Also, please correct me if I use them incorrectly-it's an easy fix. This is mostly a filler chapter and last chapter was extremely long so I shortened this one down a bit.**

* * *

 **After watching Percy and Zoë** **have an intense stare off; I looked away, my throat burning.** I was jealous and I wasn't sure why. Zoë was an eternal maiden and although I knew nothing of her past, she likely joined the Hunt centuries ago. There's no way she could've known Percy before she took the vow to become a maiden. Therefore, they had no romantic connection. I shook my head, trying to shake away the thoughts. I didn't care what past those two shared and more importantly, I didn't care for Percy.

Zoë spoke slowly, her eyes locked with his. "I know how much she meant to thee but thee cannot throw thyself off cliffs."

"Means," Percy corrected, voice tight as if he were on the verge of tears. "How much she means to me. She's not dead. And obviously you don't, or else you would understand why I need to go find her."

I sucked in a sharp breath, Zoë was going to kill him for using such a harsh tone. But she didn't.

"Very well then." Zoë held her head high. "Go forth. It appears that just like when we first met, you again choose to engage in a suicide mission."

A small smile tugged at Percy's lips. "But I got out of that one, didn't I?"

I could've sworn a ghost of a smile appeared on Zoë's lips. She _never_ smiled. "And so it seems." The lieutenant sighed then walked away, taking her place beside Artemis.

The goddess was staring off into the sunset. She turned to Zoë and spoke a few words, causing the lieutenant to shake her adamantly. It must've been a heated discussion because when it was over, Zoë was red in the face. The goddess pointed to a shaken Bianca Di Angelo who walked over to them. I rolled my eyes. There they go again with the recruitment. Despite the terrible predicament I was in, I still managed to crack a smile. It was a good look on her.

I heard heavy footsteps crunch against the snow. Percy sat down next to me, breathing heavily.

"Sure you don't want try flinging yourself off the cliff again? Third time's a charm."

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Thalia?" Percy huffed, flinging snow.

"Can't say I'd complain." I smiled half heartedly. "You seem to know Zoë very well."

"You seem to know her as well." Percy countered. "I take it you two don't get along."

"You could say that." I nodded. Zoë and I had a...complicated history, to say the least. "She seems to know a lot about you."

Percy turned toward me, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "Let's just say she and I met under extremely dire circumstances."

"Dire enough to exchange your entire life stories?"

Percy looked me dead in the eye, his face completely devoid of humor . "Yes."

A chill passed through me and suddenly, I wanted- _needed_ -to know how they had met. Zoë wasn't the kind of person to divulge her life story. The fact that surprised me the most was that Percy was willing to spill his life story. Over the course of three months, he had come close to telling me about his mom but he was still distant. They had have known each other for a long time for that to happen.

"So you guys must've known each for years?" I asked.

"No, I've only met her once. Less than a day actually."

My jaw threatened to drop. He had spilled his life story to Zoë-of all people-and in less than a day. Unbelievable. I had no right to be jealous but I was. In fact, I was shaking.

"You okay, Thalia?"

"I'm fine." I snapped involuntarily.

A hurt look flashed across Percy's face for a moment before understanding crossed it. "I know you're angry right now but we're going to find Annabeth. I promise."

A wave of guilt washed over me. My friend was probably scared for her life and here I was, jealous of a freaking maiden.

"Yeah, we will." I said softly.

I heard someone clear their voice, garnering my attention.

"Half bloods and Satyr," Zoë addressed. I noticed that Artemis was no longer beside her. "Lady Artemis has gone to hunt a prey she believes to be very powerful. She promised to also seek out Annabeth, the fallen maiden. In the meantime, we are to provide accommodations for you all and when our transportation arrives, we will travel to camp half blood."

Grover's face paled. "A-are the hunters staying at camp?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Zoë arched a brow.

Grover bleated. "N-no, it's just that you know, last time you guys stayed there, you...burned a few cabins."

Zoë waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge. Anyway, we have set up tents until our ride arrives. You are all welcome to stay in the large one-the furthest left. Except for Bianca, of course." Zoë and the other hunters set up a few tents then disappeared inside them.

Percy, Grover, Nico, and I looked at Bianca expectantly.

Under the intensity of our stare, she shuffled her feet. "I was going to tell you guys later but um, I took the vow to become a hunter."

"Cool!" Nico crowed. "Where do I join?"

Bianca looked uncomfortable and beckoned her little brother to the side. I whistled, shaking my head. I knew Bianca practically raised Nico and needed a break but this wasn't the way to do it. She had abandoned him. While they talked, Percy, Grover, and I went into our tent. It was silver-of course-and rather large, decorated with plush pillows and rugs. I plopped down on a bean bag, exhausted.

Grover distributed some ambrosia which made my aching body feel better but not my guilt. Annabeth fell because she tried to protect Percy and me, and no ambrosia could erase that.

After a moment of silence, Nico entered, face glum. He dropped himself on to a bean bag, dejected.

Percy scooted closer to me, staring at Nico. "Thalia, I think I'm feeling something."

"No way." I murmmured.

"It's not funny," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Like, I feel bad for Nico or something. I feel bad that his sister practically dumped him but I-I don't know what to do."

"Just talk to him," I advised. "Get him excited again. It can't be _that_ hard...after all, it's Nico. Throw a bone at him and he'll run after it."

"Alright, where do I find a bone?" Percy asked, dead serious.

"It was a figure of speech, Seaweed Brain." I rolled my eyes, then leaned toward Nico. "Hey Nico, want to ask us questions about camp and being half bloods?"

The life returned to the boy's eyes and he got up, excited. "Yeah! Who is your godly parent, Thalia?"

"Zeus." I answered.

"In mythomagic, he has like a thousand attack points! He's like the king of Gods! Hey, doesn't this mean you have wind power? Like when you pulled Percy back from the cliff?"

I nodded, not sure what he was getting at.

"So why didn't you do that when Annabeth fell?"

I gritted my teeth, twirling my mace canister. "I was exhausted at the time, Nico. Besides, if I lifted Annabeth, I would've lifted Thorn as well and that's too much weight. They would've fallen regardless."

Nico nodded, not at all phased by my growing anger. "So Annabeth was a half blood too?"

Grover bleated mournfully. "A daughter of Athena."

"Cool! Who's your godly parent, Percy?"

"Poseidon." Percy's lips twitched. "And Kronos."

Nico looked like he was about to lose it. His eyes were as wide as saucers. "No way-how?"

Before Percy could respond, Bianca poked her head inside the tent. "Ride's here."

I could tell that Nico was still angry at her but he nodded, following her out. Percy got up and offered me his hand. I ignored it, getting up. Yeah, it was childish but I was still mad at him. Besides, the look on his face was priceless.

"You're welcome." He said dryly.

I shrugged, stepping out of the tent. Immediately, I was greeted with a beautiful sight-the man of dreams.

He looked about six feet tall with gorgeous blond locks and an easy going smile. "Gods, he's hot."

"He is the sun god. Of course he is." Zoë said, standing beside me.

"That's not what I meant."

Bianca snuck up beside me, watching as the gorgeous man got out of his red sports car. "And here I thought you were into Percy."

"Percy-who?" My feet practically floated over to the man-he had this glow around him, like he was radiating from within.

"Hello ladies," The man of my dreams grinned, exposing a set of pearly white teeth. "You rang?"

"Yes, Lord Apollo. We need a ride to Camp Half Blood, if you will." Zoë said.

The man-Apollo-snapped his fingers and the sports car transformed into a bus. "Don't worry, ladies. Apollo has come to save the damsels in distress because he is the best."

I clapped while the hunters groaned, getting inside the bus.

Apollo winked at me. "I see I have a fan. Nice to finally meet you, Thalia Grace."

"Oh trust me, the pleasure is mine." I said while Apollo gently took my hand and kissed it. When he pulled away, I retracted my hand. Sweet baby Zeus, I was never going to wash it again.

Percy snorted. "Oh whatever, I brought you a smoothie _and_ a cookie _._ That's way better than slobbering on your hand."

"You stuck the cookie in your mouth!"

"Water under the bridge." Percy waved his hand dismissively.

Apollo cocked a brow. "Percy Jackson-I've haven't seen you since your um, little entrance stunt on Olympus. That was what, three years ago?" The god whistled. "Time flies."

"Good times, good times." The demigod agreed.

The god clapped his hands excitedly then turned to me. "Speaking of time, I heard your birthday is right around the corner. And consequently, the prophecy but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Right..." I said, looking away. I was weeks away from my birthday which also meant the prophecy was drawing near.

"Anyway, you're technically old enough to drive." Apollo tossed the car keys to me which I caught-inches away from my face.

I was pretty sure the blood drained from my face. "No-no, no. L-Lord Apollo, I c-can't. I don't want to."

"Nonsense! It's easy-you won't even be driving on roads. It practically flies itself!"

"Flies?" I was about to faint.

The sun god flashed me a dazzling smile and herded me into the driver's seat. Percy was the last to board the bus, his eyes darting nervously from me to the steering wheel.

"I-I don't know about this, Lord Apollo." I insisted, trying to get out of this.

"You'll be fine!" The god snapped his fingers, and the engine roared to life. The doors shut and the bus began to rise.

My stomach was in knots as I realized how high we were. We were practically above the clouds and the altitude combined with my already nauseous stomach didn't help ease the nerves.

I glanced over at Percy who sat in the drivers seat. He looked just as nervous and for a moment I'd forgotten he was a son of Poseidon-this wasn't his turf. But it was mine and I was scared.

"Sweetheart, please tell me you know how to fly this thing." He threw me a desperate glance.

I gulped. "I've watched the Magic School bus once or twice. This should be a piece of cake."

Percy slumped back into the chair, seemingly reassured. Apollo was coming up the aisle then settled for a seat directly behind me.

The god leaned into my ear, whispering. "Alright, time to drive this baby. It's simple, press the accelerator and do a few wheely-turns and we should be at camp in no time."

"Okay..." I prompted my foot to ease onto the accelerator but images of mother's car crash entered my mind and stomped on it. The bus lurched forward, causing nearly everyone to crash into the opposite side of the bus.

"Thalia!" Zoë yelled from the back of the bus. "Stop this madness!"

"I'm trying!" I hissed, trying to remove my foot from the accelarator with no luck. It was frozen, unmoving.

"Darling, ease up. Let's not run out of gas before we even get there." Apollo said that last part quietly.

"What?" I yelled, turning the wheel like a mad woman. We were still plummeting toward the ground at high speeds. "I can't stop it! It won't stop!"

Percy gripped the edge of his seat to keep from falling over. "Thalia! You need to listen to Apollo-ease up on the gas!"

Something in voice managed to calm me down and my foot loosened up. "Alright, now what?"

He seemed to understand that too many voices yelling was affecting me and he held his hands out in front of him, stopping time. Only he and I were unfrozen.

Though I was concentrated on the road, I began to ease up on the accelerator. "Can't you just take the wheel now?"

"You're almost there," He said, unbuckling his seat belt. He knelt down next to me, a hand on my knee. "You can do this."

My eyes were focused on the road as his touch sent vibrations through me. "No, I can't."

"Yes, you can." He insisted, conviction in his voice. "Look at you-you're doing just fine."

I looked through the window and saw he was right. The bus was running smoothly despite the wind.

A small smile tugged at my lips. "I-I'm doing it." I gasped.

"You are." Percy confirmed and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile.

The more I drove, the more confident I felt. My past was not going to affect my future and I wasn't going to let it. The others will still frozen and before I knew it, I was easing the bus onto Half Blood Hill.

I parked and let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. I unbuckled my seat belt and looked at Percy, grinning stupidly. "Thank you."

He didn't respond. His hand was still on my knee and he ran a thumb across the fabric. "I know this is a complete coincidence but um, red's my favorite color."

I got up, opened the bus doors, and walked out-towards the Big House. Percy was on the steps of the bus, arching a brow.

I turned around, laughing at his facial expression. "I know." I winked and turned around, running toward the only place I called home.

* * *

 **A/N-I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and unfortunately, I haven't gotten any prewritten chapters done for this fic. I'm really sorry about that and I will do my best to update twice a week as usual but I can't quite give a definite yes. If you guys have any questions, please go to my profile and go to FAQs to see if it's already been answered and if it's not there, just send a review or PM and I'll get back to you on that! Apart from that, thanks for reading and I'll see you next update!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N-Hey guys! I hope you guys are doing well and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **As I knocked on the door to the Big House, my mentor stepped forward, a smile gracing his face.**

"Thalia," He greeted, his eyes shinning. "I trust that the quest was successful?"

"About that..." I grimaced, filling him on what had gone down and the bond that linked Percy and me.

"Oh dear." Chiron said, his face blanching. "The titan's must have Annabeth by now. Perhaps Lee, if he's been caught."

My throat felt dry and I looked aside. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Percy and Zoë walking up the hill. A wave of anger washed over me at the sight of them together. I should probably explain why I hated her so much.

First off, she was an uptight bitch.

Secondly, years ago-she tried to recruit me. Yeah, you read that right. I was on the run with Annabeth and my ex-friend, Luke Castellan. Fighting monsters and being on the run had begun to take a toll on us and one day, we were almost overtaken by them. That is, until the hunters and their stupid bows showed up. Their presence just irritated me, it was kind of as if they were saying I couldn't protect myself. Zoë made several attempts to recruit me but I wasn't buying it. The offer was tempting but I was holding out for Luke. Yeah, I fell for a future evil asshole. There are some things in my life that I wasn't exactly proud of. Anyway, Zoë knew this and used to her advantage. When I wouldn't budge and the hunters were about to leave, she used one last ditch effort to get me on her team. She said Luke would disappoint me.

And lo and behold, Zoë Nightshade was right. And that, children, is why I hate the lieutenant of Artemis.

When Percy and Zoë reached the porch, Chiron nodded to the both of them.

"Zoë." He greeted. "Welcome to Camp Half Blood. I'm sure you remember where Cabin Eight is."

"Of course. Thank you for letting us stay, Chiron."

"Anytime." The centaur then turned to Percy. "Don't worry, Percy. We will find Annabeth in due time. In the meantime, you must stay put. You can't run off to find her-Thalia's life will be at stake if you do so."

Percy nodded reluctantly. "I understand."

I glanced at Zoë-she didn't seem surprised at the mention of the bond. I scowled-Percy must've told her.

"I-I need to tell you something, Chiron." Percy said. I glanced at him-he sounded...nervous. He looked at Zoë and me expectantly.

"Private, got it." I murmured, going down the porch steps.

Before I turned around, I saw Zoë slightly lean towards the son of Kronos and Poseidon. I frowned, that was the closest I'd ever seen Zoë next to a guy. When Luke was around, she made sure that there was at least twenty feet of distance between them. Yeah, she was _that_ extreme. I mean, most hunters joined because some guy broke their heart but Zoë acted as if every man was the bane of her existence. I didn't know anything about her but I was willing to bet a million drachmas that a guy broke her heart. And I wanted to beat the stuffing out of that guy-not because I liked Zoë (It's not that part of the fic yet) but because it was his fault that she joined the Hunt. And because she joined the Hunt, she managed to weasel her way into my life (or storyline, rather)

"I must admit that I am..." Zoë paused, searching for the right word. "saddened by the tragic fate you may face, Percy. However, if there is anyone I know who can overcome this; it is thee. There is more good than bad within thee. I have known that since the first time our paths crossed."

Before I could ask what the hell was going on, Zoë beckoned Chiron to the side and they spoke in hushed tones, occasionally glancing at Percy. Percy faced me but it seemed like he wasn't really looking at me.

"What was that all about?" I asked. "What are you going to tell Chiron?"

A ghost of a smile played on Percy's lips. "I don't think you would believe it if I told you."

"Try me." I dared.

"My titan side has become increasing dominant these past few months. If it overpowers me, I will become Kronos 2.0-minus the immortality, unfortunately." Percy watched me carefully, trying to read my expression. "I've been taking this potion to restrain that part of me but I'm kind of running out on a limited supply-let's just say, the person who gave them to me has something I want, but apparently retrieving said thing is 'out of his hands.' I'm a little annoyed by that so I haven't spoken to him and if I don't speak to him, I don't get my potion."

"And if you don't get your potion, you becoming evil." I concluded.

"Wow. You're a quick one."

"Shut it, Jackson." Static emerged at my fingertips and I wanted to shock him but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt bad for him. "That blows, Percy. I'm sorry to hear that. Talking to Chiron should help, he can fix it."

An expression I didn't recognize flashed across his face. "You're not scared of me?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"No reason." The trademark lazy grin reappeared.

I sighed and leaned my head toward Zoë and Chiron's direction.

"...Promise me you will do everything in thy power to prevent this. Thou must help him. " Zoë was saying.

Chiron seemed reluctant but agreed and they returned to the porch.

Zoë gave Percy a nod before walking towards the hill, going to escort the Hunters to Cabin Eight.

Percy gave me a small smile and I returned it, turning away as well. My shoulders felt heavy and I hoped to the gods that Percy would manage to evade this fate. He was a pain-that much was true but he didn't deserve this. The past three months were a testament to that. There were times when I saw the real Percy and I wanted to continue to catch glimpses of that Percy. I wasn't ready to let that go yet.

"Thalia, this camp is so cool!" Nico ran up to me, eyes wide. "There's a sword fighting place and archery and a mess hall and cabins-"

"Take a breath there, Nico." I chuckled. "I don't want to send you to the infirmary on your fist day."

"There's an infirmary?!" The boy looked like he was about to lose his marbles. "I never want to leave!"

"Well, you won't have to." Grover snuck behind Nico, a small smile on his face. He looked tired and understandably so-this recruitment mission hadn't gone to plan. "Monsters can't get in and some of the campers stay year around. Depending on their godly parent, however, they may choose to leave camp when they're older. Some of the less powerful half-bloods like children of Aphrodite sometimes leave and live in the real world. Audrey Hepburn would be an example."

"And monsters don't go after them?"

"Not really." I answered. "Their scent isn't as strong as a powerful half blood. They may encounter a few hellhounds here and there but they've manage to live a successful life."

Nico nodded, absorbing the information. "And you Thalia-you're one the most powerful half bloods-are you going to live at camp forever?"

I slanted my head. "Um, I don't about that, Nico."

"Okay." He said. "Sooo, when am I going to be claimed?"

"Whenever your godly parent decides to." Grover said then prodded the boy towards the cabin. "Come now, let's get you to the Hermes cabin."

"He had like a five hundered-"

"Attack points, I know." Grover finished then waved at me. "See you later, Thalia."

"Bye, Grover. Bye, Nico." I watched them walk away before returning to my cabin.

* * *

A few days had passed and with each passing day, I became irritated.

I was itching to find Annabeth and I had begun to worry about Lee-he was the only one looking for her and the fact that almost a week had passed and neither of them had turned up worried me.

Secondly, my birthday was fast approaching. It was now two weeks away and the prophecy was right around the corner. I wanted to know what the prophecy foretold but Chiron wanted to wait until I was sixteen. That is, if I lived till then.

Enough about my impending doomsday birthday-let's focus on the real issue here: Percy Jackson. He had been a nightmare this past few days. He hadn't updated me on his possible merge with evil since the day we returned to camp but I had a vague feeling that I didn't want to know. Percy had gone off deep end these past days-he spent most of his time trying to find a way to find Annabeth and someone else called 'her.' It had to be the same person he mentioned while trying to hurl himself of the cliff repeatedly. I tried talking to him a few times and he responded with his fluent sarcasm. Just like old times, we threw insults at each other but his heart was no longer in it. Percy was becoming distant and the only person who could console him was Zoë. I had come to understand that while she hated men, she hated Percy less. There were times where she gave him her signature trade mark man-hating glare but to some extent, I think she felt obligated to him through this rough patch.

Throughout the week, I saw them together often. At the beginning of the week, they walked with some five feet of distance between them but as the week progressed, that distance shortened. There were times where I'm sure Zoë was wondering what she was doing around him. Percy was a puzzling character and she wanted to figure him out. He had this way of weaseling his way into your heart and you couldn't just help but let him-not speaking from personal experience, of course. Even the Hunters began to accept the fact that Percy would be around and they had even began to joke around with him. The campers were making bets of whether Zoë would break her oath and get together with Percy.

It seemed like everyone was okay with the idea of them together. Everyone except me, that is. I was jealous and I've stopped denying it. I didn't like Zoë and it baffled me that he would choose her, out of all people. And the fact that was a Hunter was even more astounding. For Baby Zeus's sake, she was off limits! I didn't like not knowing how they met and I sure as hell, did not like them together. But that was thing, they weren't together and I was jealous for no reason.

Rant over.

Presently, I was sitting at the picnic table with Grover and Nico. Nico was talking my ear off and I was about to strangle him. Static covered my fingertips and I was about give that little twat the shock of his life until I felt the familiar warmth spread across my neck.

"Oh, man, it's he who shall not be named."

Grover raised a brow then nodded in understanding when Percy came into view.

"He's not coming over here, is he?" I whispered to the satyr.

The satyr looked over my shoulder and nodded.

"Hi, Nico. Hey, G-man."

I sucked in a deep breath at the sound of his husky voice.

"Hey there," Grover said as he rested his chin on his hand. "I haven't seen you in a bit-what brings you to the land of the living?"

"I'm hungry," he responded dryly. "This is where people come to eat, isn't it?"

I stared intently at my half eaten burger and fries, moving them around on the plate, praying to whichever god was listening that I could fade into the background until he left. I forced myself to think about anything-books, movies, Green Day, Percy, SXSW, the grass outside-

"That is, except you, who must come here to play with her food?"

 _Aw, shit's about to go down._ I plastered the brightest smile I could muster and steeled myself. My smile faltered the instant I met his eyes. He looked at me expectantly, as if he knew what I was really thinking, wanting me to fight back. "Yeah, see I usually go to Chuck E Cheese's for dinner so I'm a little out of my element. Missing the ball pen and all."

Nico snorted and looked up at Percy. "Isn't she great?"

"Just lovely." He crossed his arms, his eyes piercing mine.

"Want to join us?" Grover asked and I kicked him underneath the table. He bleated then shot me a glare.

It was Percy's turn to snort. "No, thank you."

I returned to poking my food around my plate. As if the idea of eating with us was the most absurd thing.

"Well, that's too bad." Grover didn't miss a beat.

"So I managed to get some fries but they ran out of ketchup..."

I glanced up at the sound of Zoë's voice and as she set her eyes on me, her voice faltered. Her lips thinned and she looked at Percy expectantly. I gave her a look-clearly the hate between us had grown.

"It's fine," Percy said instantly, sensing the tension. "Let's just go sit. Where's Bianca?"

Zoë tore her gaze away from me and clutched her plate of fries tightly. "Restroom."

Percy gently took her hand and led her to another table. She seemed surprised at the contact but let him steer her away.

I huffed and returned to my food. That was...intense. Little did I know that dinner would be even worse.

* * *

After a long day of classes, I went to dinner. I took my plate of food outside and spotted Grover immediately. He was talking to Bianca while munching on a soda can. Across from them was Nico, playing with a deck of cards. Percy and Zoë sat in close proximity, exchanging few words. The table was full except for two open spots.

"Thalia!" Bianca exclaimed.

Everyone at the table looked up and I waved, walking over to the table.

"Sit," Bianca said, smacking the of the table across from her. "We were talking about-"

"Wait," Zoë held up a hand. "You did not invite _her_ to sit with us. Really?"

Knots formed in my stomach and I was about to reach for my spear.

"Zoë, you're going to make a scene." Bianca whispered quietly.

"I'm not going to make anything happen." She leaned towards Percy, nearly touching his shoulder. "She does not need to sit with us."

The new hunter sighed. "Zoë, just it be. She's not trying to steal Percy from you."

My cheeks flamed as I stood there. Anger rolled off of me and I balled my free fist.

"We are not together." She said immediately. Then her gaze drifted over me as her lip curled. "Besides, even if we were I would not be worried. Trust me."

I snapped my head toward Percy but he was looking over Zoë's shoulder, his jaw working.

"Just sit," Bianca said, motioning me forward. "It's fine."

I started to put my plate down.

Percy whispered, and Zoë smacked his arm. Not lightly either. He gravitated toward her, his chin barely brushing her cheek and a dark and unwanted feeling sprung up deep inside me.

I dragged my eyes away from them, focusing on Bianca. "I don't know if I should."

"You should not," Zoë snapped.

Grover glared at the lieutenant before smiling at me. "You're more than welcome to sit here, Thalia. You see, you get these kind of privileges when you're a _camper_."

Zoë scowled and I almost smiled, but there was a burning in my chest that was spreading up my throat, down my back. "Are you sure?" I heard myself say.

Percy tore his gaze away from Zoë and took a long, confusing look at me. "I think it's obvious if you're wanted here or not."

"Percy," Grover hissed, his cheeks red. He turned to me and offered an apologetic smile. "He's not being serious."

"Are you being serious, Percy?" Zoë cocked her head to the side.

My heart was already pounding in my chest when his eyes met mine. His were sheltered. "Actually I was being serious." He leaned over the table staring up at me through thick lashes. "You're not wanted here."

Bianca spoke again, but I was beyond hearing. My face felt like it was on fire. Campers around us were starting to stare. Nico looked like he wanted to crawl underneath the table _for me._ I'd never been so humiliated in my life.

Percy turned away, staring over Zoë's shoulder again.

"Run along." Zoë said, flicking her long, slender fingers at me.

All the faces staring up at me, a mixture of pity and secondhand embarrassment, only fueled my anger. There was no excuse for what I did next except that I want to-needed to...

Hands clenching the edges of the plastic tray, I leaned over the table and turned my plate upside down over Percy's and Zoë's heads. Chunks of noodles and spaghetti sauce fell. Most of the red gunk hit Zoë and the noodles covered Percy's broad shoulder. One long, stringy noodle slid over Percy's war and hung there, flopping around. There was an audible gasp that rang out through the surrounding tables.

Bianca and Grover smacked a hand over the mouths, eyes wide and full of barely restrained laughter. Nico hid his face with his cards.

Shrieking, Zoë leaped from the table, a bow in her hand. You'd think I dumped blood on her considering the horrified look on her face.

"You...you..." she sputtered, wiping the back of her hand down her sauce-stained cheek. Percy plucked a noodle off his ear and seemed to inspect it before he dropped them on the table. Them he did the oddest thing of all.

He laughed.

He really laugh-a deep, stomaching rumbling kind of laughter that reached his gold eyes and warmed them, causing them to sparkle.

Zoë pulled an arrow from her quiver. "I will end you."

Percy jumped up, throwing his arm around the girl's waist. Whatever amusement he felt was long gone. "Calm down," he ordered softly. "I mean it. _Calm down."_

She pulled against Percy but didn't make it far. "I swear to all the stars and moon, I will destroy you."

"Come at me, bro." I was so over this bitch. I balled my fist, preparing to sucker punch the stuffing out of her.

Suddenly, Chiron was there, standing at the edge of the table. "I believe that's enough."

Despite his presence, Zoë tried to evade Percy's grasp then she stopped, looking over my shoulder.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I smirked, proud of myself.

But I didn't stop her-the skeleton behind me did. It was the oracle-she never left the attic so this was quite a surprise.

Percy dropped his hands to his sides, stunned.

Zoë walked up to the skeleton, ignoring the chunks of red sauce flying out of her hair. "I fear that Lady Artemis is in peril. I have had dreams about her being captured-tell me oracle, does thee intend to deliver a prophecy to me?"

If a skeleton could nod, the oracle did. Green mist emitted from her mouth and shiver went down my spine. " _Five shall travel west to the goddess in chains. Three shall perish, one in the land without rain. One by a parent. And another through a friend's hand. The Titan's curse one must withstand. The bane of Olympus shows the trail. In the end, the campers and Hunters combined prevail."_

After her last sentence, the oracle sat down-motionless.

"It has been confirmed, Lady Artemis had been captured and we must rescue her." Zoë looked Chiron. "Four hunters and I will depart for the quest."

"Hold it, lieutenant." I said. "It says you have take campers as well. I'm going-if we find Artemis, we will find Annabeth."

Zoë glared at me before turning to Chiron. "This is absurd-we do not need campers. They will only slow us down."

"According to the prophecy, you do." Chiron said. "Thalia will be going with you."

Zoë looked unhappy but nodded. "Bianca, I would like for you to accompany me on this quest."

"M-me?" Bianca stuttered. "But I'm new, I-I don't think I should."

Zoë turned to the girl. "You are powerful, Bianca Di Angelo-I can sense that. You will do great things on this quest, I am sure of it."

"W-well when you put it like that," Bianca blushed while her little brother pulled on her parka, shaking his head adamantly. "I would be honored to go."

"If I must take another camper, I will take the satyr if he is willing to go." Zoë looked at Grover.

Grover bleated and nodded. "I should be able to track Artemis and Annabeth when we get closer to their location."

"Percy?" Chiron asked. "Are you going?"

Zoë didn't protest but instead looked at the demigod. "Are you?"

Percy sighed. "I just want to look for Annabeth. I don't want to get side tracked on this quest, Chiron."

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice. You must go-the prophecy foretells three deaths and due to the fact that you and Thalia's life are tied, you must go or else there will be four deaths."

"Wouldn't the prophecy just say that, though?" I asked.

"They can be unclear at times." Chiron explained then turned to his half-brother. "Percy?"

He sighed, looking worried. "Fine, I'll go."

"Hold on," Nico's eyes were wide. "Are none of you guys worried about the actual prophecy? Three of you are going to die!"

"That is true, but it is a risk we are willing to take." Zoë squared her shoulders. "What matters is that we will rescue Lady Artemis in the end."

"We can just avoid places dry places, right?" Bianca asked. "It says someone will die ' _in the land without rain.'_ Let's just stay clear of dry places."

"We can try, Bianca." My jaw locked. "Unfortunately, prophecies always come true-we can't avoid any of the lines."

"Great." The hunter paled.

"I am troubled by the line ' _One by a parent.'_ " Chiron looked between Percy and I. "That couldn't bode well for either of you."

I nodded, shoulders slumping. Considering that one of Percy's parent was an evil titan, I wasn't surprised. My dad, however, would only consider killing me to avoid the prophecy.

Percy's head snapped up and he didn't look worried for himself but rather, he stared at Zoë, his gaze locked on her. Zoë looked away, gulping.

"Anyway..." I turned my attention back to the centaur. "I'm worried about death by ' _friend's hand.'_ One of us is going to killing the other? Why would any of us do that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Thalia." My mentor answered somberly. "Kronos can get in one's head and make their friends seem like enemies. Perhaps it will be a mercy killing-if one of you was fatally wounded so another ends their suffering."

A silence filled the air and chills went down my spine.

Chiron cleared his throat. "It is settled-you all will leave in two days time. You must find Artemis and get her back to Olympus by winter solstice-without her, the meeting will end in war. She has been the voice of reasoning these past few centuries-it is imperative that she be there."

"Very well." Zoë pursued her lips before shouldering off a bit of spaghetti. I chuckled and she glared. "Bianca, let's go."

The new hunter spoke a few words to her brother then followed the lieutenant back to Artemis' cabin. I felt bad for Nico, he looked distraught. As I moved toward him, everyone left-including the surrounding campers. It was just me, Nico, and the skeleton oracle.

Nico stomped his foot angrily. "Why don't the gods just save Artemis? They're immortal-they won't die!"

"Gods can't work directly like that-going into different domains, I mean." I explained. "That's why we have to go."

"I don't want my sister to die." Nico began shaking and I pulled him towards me, wrapping my arms around his small frame. "She's all I have."

"I know, Nico. The prophecy didn't say her specifically-have faith."

The boy pulled away and looked at me dead in the eye. "Then protect her. Do everything you can to make sure she comes back alive. Please, Thalia-you've got to promise me you will try."

I sighed, looking down. "I will try, Nico. I can't promise her safety but I will try."

Although it wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, Nico nodded. "That's all I want."

I knelt down, smiling. "Promise me you won't flip like you did in canon?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Nico's lips. "I promise."

* * *

 **A/N-Zoë's a bit OOC-sorry about that. I'm not saying that Zoë isn't willing to fight with Thalia but I don't she'd be like 'you can't sit with us.' I chose to do it that way because first, I was watching Mean Girls while writing this and secondly, tension was much needed. Don't worry, I'll have Percy make it up to Thalia next chapter or something. So the prophecy has been tweaked-three out of five will be dying. I wouldn't automatically assume that the third person would be Grover though-I am sadistic to all characters so no one is safe, not Percy or Thalia. That's all I have and thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N-Hey guys! To the guest that asked, I try to update twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Saturday. Lately, I've only been updating once a week but I'm trying to get back on track. Thank you for your question and to everyone else, continue reading!**

* * *

 **The next day, I got a new nickname.** I became the 'Girl who dumped their her food on _them._ ' I expected backlash in every class, especially when I spotted a still steaming Zoë sulking by the armory. It never came.

Bianca apologized profusely before archery class started, and then hugged me. She tried to talk to me while we were notching our arrows, but I was...numb. I was done being pushover Thalia.

After my morning classes and lunch, I retired to my cabin, working on homework. After a while, there was a knock on the door. It was Bianca.

"Hey," she said, "can we talk?"

"Sure..." I shut the door behind me and walked outside.

"Thalia, I am so, so sorry about yesterday. What Zoë did wasn't cool."

"It's not your fault she acted like that," I said, meaning it. "But what I don't get is why she and Percy acted like that." I stopped, feeling that stupid burn in my throat. "I shouldn't have dumped my food on them, but I've never been more embarrassed in my life."

Bianca leaned against the door, crossing her ankles. "I think it was actually kind of funny-what you did. If I'd known they were going to be so terrible about everything I would've made sure they didn't."

Water under the bridge, I guessed.

She sucked in a sharp breath. "Well, that's all I had to say. I'm really sorry about everything, Thalia."

"Don't worry about it." I grabbed my Ancient Greek textbook and dropped Bianca off at Cabin Eight before heading to class. I was dreading class. There was no doubt in my mind that Percy believed revenge was a dish best served in my face. As soon as Silena Beauregard arrived at class, she demanded to know what possessed me to dump my plate of spaghetti on Percy's and Zoë's heads.

I shrugged. "Zoë was being a bitch." I'm sure I seemed a lot more confident than I felt. I actually wanted to take the whole thing back. Sure, Zoë was being rude and embarrassed me, but hadn't I done the same thing to her? If I was the girl who dumped spaghetti on _them,_ then she was the dumpee and that's got to be more embarrassing. I was ashamed. It was as though Percy's obnoxious personality was rubbing off of me, and I didn't like it. Eyes wide, Silena leaned across the aisle. "And what about Percy?"

"He's always an ass." I replied.

The girl giggled. "I honestly wished I'd known you were going to do that. I would've filmed it."

Thinking about that being up on YouTube, I cringed as I watched the door.

"Well, everyone thinks you're really cool," Silena continued. "You were like a food ninja."

I started to laugh.

And then my neck became warm. A few seconds later, Percy walked into class. I sunk in my seat, biting my lip. "Oh gods."

Wisely, the daughter of Aphrodite stopped talking. I picked up my pen, pretending to be engrossed in the notes I'd taken yesterday. Turned out, I hadn't taken many notes, so I wrote the date on my notebook very slowly.

Percy took the seat behind me, and my stomach jumped clear into my throat. I was going to vomit. Right here, in class, in front-

He poked me in the back with his pen.

I froze. Him and that goddamn pen. The poke came again, this time with a little more force behind it. I swung around, eyes narrowed. "What?"

Everyone around us was staring. It was like a repeat of lunch. I bet they were wondering if I was going to drop my textbook on his head. Depending on what he said, there was good chance it could happen. I doubted I'd get away with it this time, though. Tipping his chin down, he stared at me through those wickedly long lashes. "You owe me a new shirt."

My jaw hit the back of my chair.

"Come to find out," he continued softly, "spaghetti sauce doesn't always come out of clothes."

Somehow I found my ability to speak. "I'm sure you have enough shirts."

"I do, but that was my favorite."

"You have a favorite shirt?" I arched a brow-the guy didn't even wear a shirt half the time.

"And I also think you ruined Zoë's favorite shirt, too." He started to grin again, flashing a deep dimple in one cheek.

"Well, I'm sure you were there to comfort her during such a traumatic situation."

"I'm not sure she'll recover." he replied.

I rolled my eyes, knowing I should apologize for what I'd done, but I couldn't find it in me. Yeah, I was becoming a terrible person. I started to turn around.

"You owe me. Again."

I started at him for a long moment. My chest lurched. "I don't owe you anything." I said, low enough for only us to hear.

"I have to disagree." Leaning closer, he tipped the edge of his desk down. There were only a few inches between out mouths. Totally inappropriate amount of space, really since we were in class. "You and I have to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about."

His gaze dropped, and the air suddenly felt steamy. Unbearable.

"Yes," he said, voice low, "we do. Tonight."

Part of me wanted to tell him to forget the whole talking thing, but I gritted my teeth and nodded. We did need to talk if at least for me to apologize. I wanted to find the nice Thalia he'd gagged and put in a corner. Chiron cleared his throat. Blinking, I saw that we had the entire class transfixed. Flushing to the roots of my hair, I turned around and gripped the edges of my desk.

Class began, but the heat in the air was still there, coating my skin in anticipation. I could feel Percy behind me, his eyes on me. I didn't dare move. Not until Silena stretched beside me and dropped a folded note on my desk. I opened the note and slid it under my book. When Chiron's back was turned, I lifted the edge of my textbook.

Holy Hawt Chemistry, Batman!

I looked over at her, shaking my head. But there was a fluttering deep in my chest, a breathlessness that shouldn't be there. I didn't like him. He was a jerk. Moody. But there had been brief moments that I'd spent with him-like a nanosecond-when I thought I might have seen the _real_ Percy. At least a _better_ Percy. And that part made me curious. And the other side, the jerky one, yeah that part didn't make me curious. It sort of excited me.

* * *

It was after eight when Percy showed up at my door. He was leaning against the door frame, staring up at the sky like usual. With the moonlight slicing over half his face and the rest cast creep in the shadows, he didn't seem real. Then Percy zeroed in on me, his gaze sliding over me then back up. He looked as if he were about to speak but thought twice.

Gathering up my courage, I walked over and stopped beside him.

"Bianca was looking for you earlier." Percy stated.

"I know, she found me and we talked after lunch."

"Oh. I told her I was going to hang out with you tonight. I think she'll swing by my cabin to make sure we haven't killed each other."

Looking away, I hid my grin. "Well, if you don't kill me, I'm sure Zoë will be more than glad to do so."

"Because of the spaghetti-gate or something else?" he asked.

I shot him a sidelong look. "You guys were sitting extremely close to each other."

"Ah, I see." He pushed off the railing, coming to stand beside me. "It makes sense now."

"It does?" I held my ground.

His eyes gleamed in the dark. "You're jealous."

"Whatever." I forced a laugh. "Why would I be jealous?"

Percy followed me as I stepped away from my cabin. "Because we spent time together."

"Spending time together isn't a reason to be jealous. especially when you were forced to spend time with me." I realized how lame it was I _was_ sort of jealous. Ugh. "Is this what we need to talk about?"

He shrugged. "Come on. Let's take a walk."

Watching him, I smoothed my hands over my jeans. "It's kind of late, don't you think?"

"I think and talk better when I walk." He held a hand out to me. "If not, I turn into the dickhead Percy you're not too fond of."

I stared at his hand. There was something fluttering in my stomach. "Yeah, I'm not holding your hand."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like you."

"Ouch." Percy placed his hand over his chest, wincing. "That was harsh."

Yeah, he needed some acting classes. "You're not going to take me out in the woods and leave me there, are you?"

"Sounds like a fitting case of revenge, but I wouldn't do that. I doubt you'd last very long without someone to rescue you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

He tossed me a brief grin, and we walked in silence for a few minutes. The night air was chilly and I knew it'd be a cold winter. Soon we had moved deep into the woods, where the moonlight struggled to make it through the thick trees. Percy reached in his back pocket and pulled out a thin flashlight that gave off a surprisingly large amount of light. Every cell in my body seemed to be aware of how close he was while we walked in a cocoon of darkness, the light bouncing in front of us with each step. And I hated each of my traitorous cells with a vengeance.

"Zoë and I aren't together...obviously." he said finally. "She's just a really good friend. And before you ask, I don't know why she was practically leaning on top of me."

"Why did you let you her?" I asked, wanting to smack myself afterward. It wasn't my business and I didn't care.

"I don't know, honestly. Is being a guy a good-enough reason?"

"Not really," I said, staring at the ground. I could barely see my feet.

"Didn't think so," he replied. I couldn't see his expression and I needed to, because I could never tell what he was thinking and sometimes, well, his eyes were at war with his words. "Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk about. I'm...I am sorry about the dinner thing."

Surprised he apologized, I stumbled over a rock. He caught me easily, his breath warm on my cheek before he backed off. My skin tingled and I pulled back. Percy apologizing for the dinner debacle was like being doused with cold water. I wasn't sure what was worse: him not knowing he'd been a jerk or fully aware of what he'd been doing to me.

"Thalia?" he said softly.

I glanced at him. "You embarrassed me."

"I know-"

"No, I don't think you do know." I started walking, hugging my elbows. "And you pissed me off. I can't figure you out. One minute you aren't bad and then you are the biggest ass on the planet."

"But I have brownie points," He caught up with me, always shining the light far enough ahead of me so I could easily make out exposed roots and rocks. "I do, right? Brownie points from the lake and our hike?"

"You got a lot of brownie points for Annabeth." I shook my head. "Not for me. And if they were my brownie points. you've lost most of them by now."

He was quiet for a few moments. "That blows. It really does."

I stopped. "Sucks to suck."

"Look, I am sorry about dinner. I am." He let out a long breath. "You didn't deserve the way we acted."

I didn't know what to say to that. He sounded genuine and almost sad, but it wasn't as if he didn't have a choice in how he acted. "What you did really sucked, Percy. I mean, I expected it from Zoë but I thought you were better than that."

"I needed you to go, Thalia. Zoë is usually level headed but with Artemis captured and everything, she was on the edge. If I didn't get you to leave, she could've hurt you." He glanced. "And I don't think I could live with that."

I sucked a sharp breath, slightly softening at his last sentence. "I can protect myself, thank you very much."

"With spaghetti, sure."

I pushed his shoulder playfully and he laughed. Eventually, I joined in.

After a moment, his laughter faded. "Are we cool?"

I chuckled. "I guess but don't try that again, Seaweed Brain."

"I wouldn't dare." He pointed the flashlight back in the direction of the cabins. "Let's head back. I have a surprise for you."

I raised a brow but followed him back to the cabins. We walked in silence and once we got there, he sped off towards his cabin. I shrugged and went inside mine. Percy came back with a large box that jingled. Sitting on the edge of my bunk, I folded my hands and waited, having no clue what he was up to.

Percy opened the box, reached inside, and pulled out a green needled branch and poked me with it. "I thought we should put a Christmas Tree up."

I laughed. "Alright, let's do this."

Trimming a Christmas tree was a new experience for me. I summoned the winds to move furniture around. I'd throw bulbs in the air with the flick of a wrist and Percy would freeze them then I moved them to their exact location.

We laughed. A lot. Every so often I'd choked up when I thought of Annabeth. She would've enjoyed this.

Percy dropped silvery tinsel on my head while I plucked a bulb out of the air. "Thanks," I said.

"It kind of fits you."

The scent of artificial pine filled the living room. The holiday spirit woke inside me like a slumbering giant. I grinned at Percy and held up a bulb that was so gold it almost matched his eyes. I decided it was going to be _his_ bulb.

I placed it right under the twinkling star.

It was almost midnight by the time we finished. Sitting on my bed, thigh against thigh; we stared at our masterpiece. The tree was a little tinsel-heavy on one side, but it was perfect. A rainbow of colored lights shimmered. Glass bulbs glimmered.

"I love it." I breathed.

"Yeah, it's pretty good." He leaned in to me, yawning. "I like our tree-it looks like a disco ball."

 _Our tree._ I smiled, liking the sound of that.

He bumped me with his shoulder. "You know, I had fun doing this."

"I did, too."

Percy's lashes lowered. Man, I'd kill for a set of those babies. "It's late."

"I know." I hesitated. "You want to stay?"

A single brow arched.

That hadn't come out right. "I don't mean _that._ "

"Not that I'd complain if you did." His gaze dropped. "Not at all."

I rolled my eyes, but my tummy was coiling tight. Why had I offered for him to stay? His assumption wasn't too far off. Percy didn't strike me as the type to dig PG-13 slumber parties. I didn't want him to leave, but I didn't...I didn't know what I wanted.

"I'm going to get changed," I said.

"Need help?"

"Wow. You're so chivalrous, Percy."

His smile widened, flashing deep dimples. "Well, the experience would be mutually beneficial. I promise."

No doubt it would be.

"Stay," I ordered, then hurried to the bathroom.

I quickly changed into a pair of sleep shorts and a pink thermal. Yeah, I own pink clothing. Not the sexiest sleepwear, but as I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I decided it was the best choice. Anything else would give Percy ideas. Hell, a paper sack would encourage him.

I left my bathroom and stopped. Percy had _not_ stayed. My smile slipped from my face. He was standing right in front me, back turned. "I got bored."

"I wasn't even gone five minutes."

"I have a short attention span. Blame the ADHD." He glanced back at me, eyes glittering. "Nice shorts."

I grinned. There were stars on my shorts. "What are you doing down here-you can have top bunk."

"You said I could stay." He turned around to face me, his gaze drifting to the bed. The room suddenly seemed too small, the bed even small. "I didn't think you meant the top bunk-there are no sheets or blankets on it."

Now I wasn't even sure what I'd meant. I sighed. What was I doing?

"I'm not going to bite." He added.

"That's good."

"Unless you want me to." he added with a devilish grin.

"Nice," I muttered, side-stepping him. Space was definitely needed. Not that it did much good. Heart pounding, I watched him kick off his shoes then whip off his shirt. He moved to the button on his jeans. My eyes widened. "What-what are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed."

"But you're getting naked!"

He arched a brow. "I have boxers on. What? Did you expect me to sleep in jeans?"

"You did last time." I looked for something to fan myself with.

Percy laughed. "That's true."

I could've told him to leave, but I turned away, pretending to be engrossed with a book on my desk. Chills shot straight to my core when I heard the bed groan under his weight. Taking a shallow breath, I turned around. He was in bed, arms folded behind his head, an innocent look on his face. "This was a bad idea," I whispered.

"It was probably the smartest idea you've ever had."

I rubbed my palms on my hips. "It's going to take a lot more than a Christmas tree to get laid."

"Damn. There goes my whole plan."

Flustered, infuriated, and thrilled; I stared at him. So many emotions couldn't be possible. My head was spinning as I stalked over to my side of the bed-oh my gods, when had we developed _sides?_ -and quickly slid under the covers. I did _not_ want to know if he'd left the jeans on or not.

"Can you turn the lights off?" He asked.

I waved my hand and a small breeze traveled to the light switch. With a moderate amount of force, darkness descended.

Several moments passed. "That's a handy ability."

"It is." I agreed.

"Maybe one day I can be just as lazy as you and turn off lights without moving."

"Wow, how modest." I relaxed a fraction of an inch and smiled.

"Modesty is for saints and losers. I'm neither."

He rolled onto his side, his breath stirring the hair along my neck. My heart leaped into my throat. "I can't believe you haven't kicked me out yet."

"Same here." I murmured.

Percy weaseled his way closer, oh yeah, he'd gotten rid of his jeans. His bare legs brushed mine, and my heart rate spiked.

"You're not going to go all half-titan on me are you?" I asked, trying ignore the close contact.

He chuckled. "No, I think I've got enough of the potion for about two more months. Chiron's working on a more permanent solution."

"Good." Slow and steady breaths raised my chest. Like when he'd kissed me in the library, I wanted to stop thinking. Impossible when his eyes held the intensity of a thousand suns.

Percy reached out, brushing a strand of hair off my cheek with the tips of his fingers. Electricity shimmered through me. There was no denying the attraction-the pull that didn't want to let either of us go. My gaze was fixed on his lips like an addict. Memories of the way they'd felt seared me. All of this was crazy. Inviting him to stay, getting in bed with him, and thinking what I was about him. Crazy. Exciting.

I swallowed. "We should go to sleep."

His hand palmed my cheek and I wanted to touch him. I wanted to be closer.

"We should." He agreed.

Lifting my hand, I brushed my fingers over his lips. They were pillow soft yet firm. Intoxicating.

Percy's eyes flared, and my stomach hollowed. He shifted his head closer and his lips brushed the corner of mine. His hands slid from my face and down my neck, and when he dipped his head again, his lips brushed over the tip of my nose. And then he kissed me. A slow-burning, toe-curling kiss that left me aching for so, so much more. I felt like I was spinning into the kiss, falling into him.

He pulled back with a groan and settled beside me. "Good night, Sweetheart."

Heart pounding, I let out a long sigh. "That's all?"

Percy laughed. "That's all...for now."

Biting my lip, I turned around, wondering what he meant by 'for now.'

After a long period of silence passed and my eyes began to close.

"Thalia?" Percy asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Can I...?" There was a pause and my heart stuttered. "Can I just hold you? That's all...that's all I want."

A knot formed in my throat and my chest tightened, cutting off my voice. I turned around, nodding.

Relief flickered across his stoic face, softening the hard lines. He extended an arm and I went, curling against his body, my head nestled in the space between his shoulder and chest.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and our breaths mingled as we lay there, staring at each other silently until his eyes began to flutter.

"You drool." I stated.

He opened one eye. "I do _not._ "

"Whatever." I smiled, placing my hand over his heart.

He tilted his head to the side, his lips moving against my hair as he spoke. "Get some rest, Sweetheart. I'll be gone before morning."

Under my hand, the steady beat of his heart matched my own, slightly accelerated. Was it the closeness? I didn't know. But before I knew it, I'd drifted into the deepest, calmest sleep I'd had in weeks.

* * *

The irate sound of "THALIA GRACE AND PERSEUS JACKSON!" being yelled, followed by a collective round of gasps and laughs woke me up. My eyes fluttered open, and I tried to pinpoint the voice.

 _Dad?_ I wondered. But why would my dad be here? Once I focused my vision, I saw a long, white tail shaking back and forth. I frowned-my dad didn't have a tail. Then I groaned-but Chiron did.

My mentor stood in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. Zoë stood behind him, a brow raised. Bianca and Grover had bags thrown over their shoulders and they stared at me. Nico was cowering behind his sister.

"What?" I mumbled. My hard pillow moved. Glancing down, I felt my cheeks burn hot. Percy was still in my bed. And I was half lying on him. One of his hands was wrapped mine, pinning it against his chest. _Oh my gods no..._

Mortified on an epic level, I pulled my hand free. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Oh really?" Chiron folded his arms.

"At least they're fully clothed." Grover tried.

"Not helping." Zoë shot back.

I started to sit up, but Percy's arm tightened around my waist as he rolled into me, nuzzling my neck. Wanting to die a thousand deaths, I pushed him. He didn't budge.

His eyes opened into thin slits. "Mmmm, what's your problem?" I stared meaningfully at the doorway. Frowning, he turned his head and froze. "Oh, wow, awkward."

He cleared his throat as he removed his arm from my waist. "Good morning."

Chiron smiled tightly. "Good morning, Percy. I think it's time you head to _your_ cabin."

"Right." Percy quickly got up, picking up his clothes as he started for the door. Grover and Bianca grimaced, feeling bad for me. Zoë's eyes met Percy's and she looked annoyed. He threw her a lazy grin and she pivoted, turning away.

As she left, she murmured. "You know what, I do not care. I do not."

Bianca followed her out and consequently, so did Nico. Grover followed Percy out, leaving Chiron and me alone.

"Chiron, it's not what you think. I promise."

The centaur stomped his hoof. "He was in your bed. What am I supposed to think?"

I couldn't respond so I switched the subject. "Why aren't you getting onto to Percy-it wasn't just me."

"You are a camper. You are _my_ responsibility. Percy is an ally-I claim no responsibility for his actions." Chiron looked at me for a long moment. "Don't let it happen again, Thalia."

"Yes, sir."

Chiron sighed and shook his head. "Crazy kids. Anyway, I hope you are prepared. You are to depart on your quest in ten minutes. Good luck, Thalia."

I grinned and nodded, getting out of the bed.

After the centaur left, I got ready, grabbed my packed duffle bag, and headed down half-blood hill toward the van. By the time I got there, Bianca and Grover were in the van and Zoë was in the driving seat. Percy was loading his stuff in the trunk and he bent down to pick my bag.

"Sleep well?" He asked as I handed him the bag.

I winked. "I've had better nights."

"Ouch." He commented, shutting the trunk. He walked to the door and opened it, holding out a hand.

"Thanks." I took it and hopped into the back seat next to Grover and Bianca.

"No problem." The son of Kronos and Poseidon closed the door then climbed into the passenger seat.

Zoë rolled her eyes at him but started the engine.

"Hold up, did I give you permission to start this van?" Percy grinned at the lieutenant.

"Go to hell, Percy Jackson." A small smile appeared on her face.

"Been there, done that."

"Yeah," Grover added. "Never again."

"Never say never, Grover." Percy said jokingly then looked out the widow, darkness shadowing his features.

The satyr's smile faded and he looked down as if he'd said something wrong. I frowned, trying to piece together what was going on.

Zoë hesitated before laying a light hand on his knee. She held his gaze for a long time and I looked away, throat burning.

"Hey," She began softly. "Permission to drive, my Lord?"

A moment before Percy's trademark lazy grin reappeared. "Permission granted, Zoë."

* * *

 **A/N-I actually shortened this chapter, it was going to continue on to the part where they get to the Smithsonian but I just wanted this chapter to be basically Perlia so the Smithsonian will happen next chapter. I have an outline for the entire fic so I have every chapter planned out but not written so everytime I shorten a chapter, I have tweak the outline a bit without adding some scenes from the next chapter. I don't think that made sense. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that because the next chapter is the Smithsonian, it'll be short. I've been asked to write some scenes in Percy's Pov and I've been a little hesitant on that because I don't want to switch the narration. And if I do Percy that will be a drastic narration because he knows a lot more than Thalia at this point. So I'm going to write the Smithsonian scene and I'll include Percy's Pov of the dance from Westover Hall. That way I'm not changing the narration but everyone wins. Got it? Get it? Good. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys on Tuesday for the next update!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N-Sorry for not updating when I said would, my computer broke and my loaner was acting weird. Don't even get me started on that broken computer-these two idiots in my physics class broke it. It's alright, they'll pay for a new one. Anywho, that's pretty much the only reason why I wasn't updating and apparently I've never heard of writing the chapter out on a paper then transferring on a word doc. I'm smart like that. This chapter is shorter and there's a section on Percy's pov of the winter dance. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Zoë Nightshade drove like a mad woman.** She wove in and out of traffic, nearly causing a collision at every turn.

"And here I thought Thalia was a bad driver." Grover clutched his seat, making dents in it.

"I'm going to get you for that, goat boy!" I threatened, glaring at him.

Grover bleated mournfully and looked at the road ahead. "Gods, Zoë-you're going to kill us before we can even save Artemis!"

I snorted. "Real talk, though. Not all of us are immortal, you know."

Something seemed to register in Zoë's mind and slowed down slightly, going at least 20 miles above the speed limit instead of a hundred. "I am sorry. I just feel as though we are running out of time."

"It's the eighteenth, Zoë." Percy's gaze was focused on the road. "We've three days, fourteen hours, and 93.3 seconds until the Winter Solstice."

"How many miliseconds?" I asked teasingly.

"Shut up," Percy chuckled then looked out the window. ".089."

"That's what I thought." I laughed and surprisingly, Zoë joined in.

"Thee is correct, Percy." The lieutenant loosened her grip on the steering wheel. "We have time."

"You should listen to me more often. I'm never wrong."

Grover frowned. "Well, there was that one time..."

"I didn't ask for your two cents, goat boy." Percy interrupted, earning a laugh from Bianca and me.

"Wow, I didn't come on this quest to be attacked, you know." Grover leaned back, adjusting his reed pipes.

"You didn't?" I rose my brows.

Percy threw his head back, laughing. "I thought you were supposed the be the _scapegoat._ "

"Good one." I complimented.

"I'm available anytime." He turned around to wink at me. "And I mean, _anytime._ "

A blush spread across my cheeks. "Classy, Percy. Class-y."

"It's among one of my gifted talents." He wiggled his brows at me. "Wanna see my other gifts?"

"No, thank you. Please keep your gift wrapped." I smiled. "Return to sender."

"Consider the sender offended."

Zoë cleared her throat. "I hate to interrupt the sexual innuedos but I'm afraid we've got company."

"The good kind?" Grover asked, bleating.

"I wish." Zoë muttered before pointing to a museum. "Skeleton guards."

I sucked in a sharp breath-she was right. A line of bone-white skeletons with guns were positioned in front of the museum. The mortals walking by gave them a strange glance but I knew the mist prevented them from seeing their true nature.

Zoë parked and unbuckled her seat belt, getting out of the car. "Let's go."

Percy, Grover, Bianca, and I followed suit and got out of the van.

Bianca caught up to us, eyes wide. "Am I only one wondering why we are heading toward those creepy skeletons? I think we should pass them-it's probably a bad omen that they're here."

"'Tis a good sign, Bianca." Zoë said, her hair blowing in the wind. "It means we're going in the right direction."

"Or toward our deaths." The new hunter grumbled but opened the museum doors. By the time we reached the door, the skeleton guards had disappeared inside. "After you guys."

"Thanks." I murmured, going in.

"I've never been to the Smithsonian." Grover commented, looking at all the sculptures and bones.

"Well, now's not the time for sightseeing." Percy jaw locked. His eyes narrowed. "Something's up here."

"I agree." Zoë's bow appeared in her hand. "Split up. Follow those skeletons and see what they are up to. Meet back in five."

"Grover, Thalia, and Bianca take the left. Zoë and I will go right." Percy directed before walking off in that direction.

A pang of jealously struck my chest as Zoë caught up with him and I looked away. In the words of Zoë Nightshade, I do not care. I do not.

"It looks like you care." Grover commented. "A lot, actually."

"Shut it, goat boy." I felt my cheeks warm.

"Did he just read your mind?" Bianca asked, weaving past a group of mortals.

"No-he's satyr so he picks up on emotions. He can read expressions pretty well." I explained. "He's also never heard of a thing called _privacy_."

"Sorry." Grover said sheepishly.

I shrugged, straining my neck to look for the skeletons. "I think we should turn back around and wait for Zoë and Percy. I don't see any skeletons."

"Same here." Bianca said. "Maybe they got scared and fled?"

"Ha." I laughed dryly. "I wish. They'll be back and we'll be ready when they come."

"I hope so..." Bianca trailed off and I led us back to the spot where we all had agreed on.

Barely two minutes later, Percy and Zoë ran in. Their faces were pale and Zoë had a wild look in her eyes.

"I will admit, I did not believe thee at first. But now that I have seen him with my own eyes, I do." Zoë looked at Percy, her face as pale as a sheet.

"I knew it was him the moment Thorn said something about a general. Any idea how they got him out from underneath the sky?"

Zoë looked around before ushering the group towards the door. "The burden must be accepted willingly. Anybody in their right minds would never take it from him. They must've been manipulated."

Percy's lips twitched. "Of course, I should've seen it earlier. Annabeth. The titans lured in Artemis by having Annabeth hold the sky. She would never let a maiden go through such torture."

"But that begs the question-who got Annabeth to hold the sky? Certainly not the general." Zoë tapped her foot. "Also the titan lured Artemis in by sending that monster for her to chase. What is that monster and how did it come to be in their possession?"

"No idea." Percy looked around. "Maybe it just appeared and the titans used it to their advantage?"

"Likely. The way Artemis described it to me..." A shiver passed through the girl. "It has immense power, rivals that of the gods."

"Hold up," I interrupted. "What are we talking about? A general? Holding the sky?"

Percy opened his mouth to speak but a fierce growl interrupted him. Around us, the mortals screamed and began to scatter.

I tapped my bracelet and my shield appeared. "What's going on?"

"That." Percy's sword was at full length as he pointed to an enormous lion running at full speed towards us. Its golden fur glittered, catching the light.

"The Nemean Lion," I recognized. "When it gets closer, we split and scatter. It can't get all of us at once."

The group nodded and when it came near, I rolled to the left. When I got back up, I saw that Bianca and Zoë had their bows in hand, running up the stairs. They were going to aim from high ground. And good thing too, because I had a feeling this massive lion wasn't going to go down easy. Grover played a tune on his reed pipe, causing the lion to roar. Percy appeared beside me and slanted his head toward the cowering mortals.

"Got it." I said, helping the mortals escape the floor.

"Kitty!" A toddler said as I ushered her toward another section of the museum.

"Yes, big, scary kitty." I agreed, handing her off to her parents. They looked confused but not scared. "It's our new virtual animal project. Nothing to worry about."

The parents nodded, taking the child's hand before wandering off in another direction.

Running at full speed, I reached my friends in a matter of minutes. Arrows whizzed past me, bouncing off the Nemean lion harmlessly.

"We're not even making a dent!" Grover yelled.

I looked behind me and saw an army of skeleton warriors approaching. "Well, we better get rid of it fast-the skeletons are coming!"

Bianca's face paled as she notched another arrow.

"I've got an idea." Percy jumped on the nearest waterfountain. "I'm going to get to open its mouth and Zoë and Bianca launch your arrows into the back of his throat. Thalia, send a shock through him. The water combined with the electricity should do the trick."

"Ready whenever you are." I said, drawing my spear to conduct electricity.

Zoë and Bianca nodded, ready to implement the plan.

Percy's hands shot out and a burst of water followed, aiming at lion's mouth. It was in full-roar mode, angered by Grover's obnoxious reed pipes.

Zoë's and Bianca's arrows flew and I followed it up with current of electricity. As soon as the arrows entered the lion's mouth, it began to jerk violently, currents of electricity flowing through him. With one final roar, the Nemean lion fell to the floor, twitching until it no longer moved. I watched as the the lion shrunk, leaving behind a normal-size lion's pelt.

Zoë took it, her hands shaking. "Take it." She told Percy and he stared at her with disbelief.

"I-I can't." He shook his head. "I know what this means to you. Let's just leave it and forget about it."

"It is time someone noble and brave donned the fur, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like him, nor will you ever be."

"Zoë, I-I don't know what to say." Percy's eyes burned amber. "Thank you."

Before I could decipher their conversation, the skeletons were approaching. "Incoming!"

"Run!" Bianca yelled and we ran, leaving the skeletons and the museum behind us.

* * *

 **The following is a scene from Chapter 5, the Winter Dance at Westover Hall**

 **1st POV/Percy-**

 **Adjusting my tie, I stepped out of my dorm room and slipped my tux jacket on.** The Winter Dance. Practically the last place on Earth I wanted to be at. A night of watching sweaty, gawky mortal teenagers paw all over each other wasn't my idea of a fun night. But I had little choice-we had to find the monster/vice principal and protect the Di Angelos.

I glanced over at Annabeth. Standing beside her boyfriend, dressed in a silver dress, she looked like her mother, Athena.

Lee looked over at me as he messed with his cuff links. His brows inched up. "I really hope we don't make a scene tonight."

"I have to agree, but there's no fun in a take down without a scene." Annabeth hiked up her dress slightly, revealing her knife tucked into a garter.

I smiled. "Classy, Wisegirl."

"I try." She waved a hand toward the stairs. "We should get going."

As the three of us went down the steps and headed into the gym, I reflected on the real reason I was really here. I wasn't here to scuffle with the monster/vice principal.

It had to do with one sweaty, gawky mortal teenager pawing all over one person in particular. Once I knew that Thalia had actually accepted the idiot's offer to the dance, instinct was screaming that she was going to need me. Or it was a really messed up territorial need to… to do what?

Go in there, beat the crap out of Logan and claim my girl?

Uh no, because beating the crap out of him would probably end in his death and she wasn't my girl. No way in holy hell.

Annabeth disappeared into a flock of several girls who were already squawking and squealing about her dress. Forcing myself to breathe and not run around the room, popping all the balloons that probably took an entire day to blow up, I found the nearest empty table and sat. Following suit, Lee did the same. He started talking about some football game I could give two craps about and I zoned him out.

And waited.

And waited some more.

And then I saw Logan's jock-douchebag friends head toward the door and I knew that meant Thalia was here. Leaning back in my chair, I casually looked over my shoulder.

Something unexpected happened to my chest. It felt like someone had walked right up to me and socked me in it. I might have stopped breathing.

"Oh Rhea, mother of baby Zeus," I muttered.

Thalia stood by the door, her hands clasped around a tiny clutch as her eyes bounced around the gymnasium. The dress… aw man, that dress should be illegal. Tight around the bodice and waist, then flowing over her hips like a river of crimson silk. Her hair was up, revealing a long, graceful neck I didn't know she had.

Red.

Red was my favorite color.

Thalia wasn't cute. She wasn't even sexy. She was beautiful—absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

I watched her bolt as soon as she spotted Bianca and an approving smile spread over my lips. That's right, Sweetheart, I thought, stay away from Logan. He so doesn't deserve to be in the same time zone as you.

I had no idea how long I watched her, but I eventually lost sight of her in the crowd. Part of me wanted to get up, and go find her. But that would raise eyebrows, so I remained there, gripping the back of my chair so hard it groaned under the pressure. At some point, Lee got up, talked to Grover who was on the opposite side of the gym, then pulled his girlfriend aside, talking to her by the stage.

I craned my neck, still looking for Thalia.

Then she reappeared with Annabeth, skirting along the dance floor. She stopped, twisting gracefully until her gaze landed on my table as if she'd been looking for me. Something inside me roared a male approval.

Our eyes locked, and there was that sucker-punch feeling again, except in moved lower, into my stomach. I was mesmerized, enthralled. She took a step back and—

And Logan pushed through the crowd, blocking her from me. Every muscle in my body locked up as a primal urge rushed through me. I started to stand, but at the last moment, forced myself to sit.

A few seconds later, Annabeth arrived at the table. She filled me in a few things. Describing the monster/vice principal, but I didn't really hear her. Then Lee leaned over, whispering in my ear. "I'm going to keep an eye on the Di Angelos. I'll send the signal if anything's up."

"Got it."

Lee got up. "See you in a few."

Peace out, I thought. I kept an eye on Logan… and Logan's hands. I did not like them.

I'd barely realized that Annabeth had gone too and was now making her way to Thalia. She pulled the daughter of Zeus away briefly and I nodded in approval.

I growled, looking down. What Thalia was doing really wasn't any of my business. In reality, she can do whatever she wanted. As luck would have it, Thalia ended back with Logan again.

Logan's hand glided down the front of her dress, causing Thalia to jerk back. Her angry expression was lost in a sea of faces and… well, that was it. I was on my feet before I even realized it, moving between dancers, my hands curling into fists.

I stalked up to them, stopping behind Thalia. "Mind if I cut in?"

Logan's eyes shot wide, and he must've seen his impending doom in my face, because he dropped his arms and took a step back. "Perfect timing. I needed to get a drink anyway."

I arched a brow and then turned to Thalia, dismissing the idiot. "Dance?"

She stared back a moment, then carefully placed her hands on my shoulders. "This is a surprise."

Damn if it wasn't. I wrapped an arm around her waist and took one of her hands in mine. And damn if she didn't feel right in my arms, perfect actually.

Stupid and oddly wishful thinking.

Her incredibly long lashes swept up and eyes warm but wary searched mine. A pretty flush spread across her cheeks and down her throat. I'd do something terrible to know what she was thinking. I pulled her closer.

"Are you having a good time with Happy Hands?"

She sucked in her lower lip, and I bit back a groan. "Such a constant smartass."

I laughed and she shivered in my arms. My hand slipped to her hip and I cleared my throat, looking over the top of her head. "You… you look beautiful, by the way. Really too good to be with that Linus idiot."

"Logan." She corrected, looking down as her skin flushed. "Are you high?"

"Unfortunately, no I'm not. Though, I am curious why you would ask."

"You never say anything nice to me."

"Good point." Damn, I was a dick sometimes. I sighed-well, most of the times. I lowered my chin and she jumped when my jaw grazed her cheek. "I'm not going to bite you. Or grope you. You can relax."

She was silent, so I took that as a good thing. Acting on instinct, I guided her head to my chest and then placed my hand on her lower back. Dancing like that was normal. Nothing for anyone to fuss over, including me.

Breathing in the peaches scent of hers, I closed my eyes and let the music guide us. I started to hum to the underlying beat, focusing on the heat she threw off. There was something strangely intimate about slow dancing. Not the bumping and grinding kind that left little to the imagination, but this—two bodies melded together, drifting in the same beat, touching in all the right places. Intimate.

Okay, maybe I was high.

My hand curled against her back. "Seriously, how's your date going?"

Thalia smiled. "He's a little friendly."

"That's what I thought." I searched for him in the crowd, wanting to knock him out. "I warned you about him."

"Percy," she said. "I have him under control."

I snickered. "Sure looks like it, Sweetheart. His hands were moving so fast I was beginning to question if he was human or not." She stiffened in my embrace. "Gods, you're way out of your league with that Lincoln guy."

"Logan." Thalia pulled back and I immediately missed the way she felt.

We'd completely stopped dancing by this point. A storm was brewing and it had a name: Sweetheart. I almost smiled.

"Excuse me?" she said. "I'm out of my league?"

Didn't she get it? "You heard me."

* * *

 **A/N-And we all know what happens after that. I would've continued to the part where he sees Zoë but I'm planning to reveal the way they met next chapter actually. Also this is going up today because I won't be updating on saturday, I'm taking the ACT then doing a college visit. Thanks for reading and as always, have a great week!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N-Warning, this is a long chapter so get comfy or read it in parts. It's been a while since I updated but things came up, but I've got everything under control. I think. So I'm going to keep this short but we have three more chapters left so this story is winding down-yay!**

* * *

 **"Step on it, Zoë! They're catching up to us,"** Percy's new fur coat blew furiously in the wind. "I think we might have to ditch the car. They've got a helicopter."

The lieutenant gritted her teeth, her hands turning bone white as she swerved to the right, trying to lose the helicopter and skeletons. "Well, we shall not have to worry about the car. It is out of fuel." Not a second later, Zoë pulled into an alley way and the car let out one last exhaust fume before coming to a halt.

I heard the clanking sound of bones and knew the skeleton warrior were near us.

"Get out." I told the group, twirling my mace canister. "Set up a flank around me. Take down the monsters and I'll get the helicopter."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Percy got out of the car, uncapping his pen.

Zoë and Bianca notched their bows while Grover and I stood in the middle of the flank, forming a pyramid.

The first few skeletons appeared and Zoë's arrows bounced harmless off of them, not slowing their approach the slightest.

"Guys, I think I know this area." Bianca looked around, probably trying to recognize something familiar. "There should be a train station near here."

"Trains? In the urban part of D.C.?" I raised a brow, raising my shield. "I don't know about that, Bianca."

"Well, anyone else got a better idea?" Bianca looked around, looking for a response. "That's what I thought."

"Alright then." I pointed my spear at helicopter and a gust of wind blew it in the opposite direction.

The rest of the group were basically tackling the skeletons but nothing seemed to be working. I joined in, hacking away with my spear but skeletons disassembled only to reassemble seconds later. Bianca swung over my head at a skeleton near me and with one quick stab, it erupted into flames.

"Woah, how'd you do that?" I asked, amazed.

"Lucky stab?" She guessed.

Before I could respond, I heard someone yell my name and the person tackled me. A gun shot rang and I flew backwards, thinking I got hit. When I realized I was still alive, I ran over to the figure who had tackled me. They were face down on the ground, coughing.

"Percy, oh gods." I turned him over while the rest of the group surrounded us, defending us. I put my hands on his chest, searching for a heartbeat. There had to be one because I was still alive.

He sat up, seemingly unfazed. "Hands off, mofo."

"Oh thank the gods." I threw my arms around him, tears threatening to spill over. I retracted my arms then slapped him. Hard. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"You're welcome for saving your life," He said, a hand searching his fur coat. He pulled out a bullet shell and stared at it. "Fur must be bullet-proof. Huh."

"You could've died." I said, looking into those stunning amber eyes. "You would've died for me."

A lopsided grin appeared. "So you would care if I lived or died?"

"Aw, what the frickle frackle, man? No-we both would've died so you should stop inflating that ego of yours."

"Frickle Frackle? What are you-twelve?"

"A little help here, guys?" Grover was playing the reed pipes furiously, trying to distract the skeletons with that godawful thing he called music.

"Oh right." Percy helped me up and sprang back into the action.

We were pretty much useless, considering that Bianca had managed to slay every last one of the skeletons with that knife of hers. After she finished off the last skeletons, Zoë passed around some ambrosia to replenish our strength.

"Sooo..." Percy nodded at the hunter's knife. "Is that knife magic or something?"

Bianca looked at Zoë for answer.

The lieutenant shook her head. "No, I have the same one and it bounced off the skeletons with no effect. She must be consistently hitting the right spot or something."

"Maybe." Grover agreed, slinging his pipes over his shoulder. "Let's go before she has to fight anymore of them."

Bianca looked uncomfortable but nodded. We got our belongings from the van and went on foot, going south. When we reached Alexandria, Bianca recognized that train station she had been talking about except it was inactive.

"Just my luck." She grumbled. "I could've sworn it worked the last I was here."

"Actually, it's your lucky day." Grover pointed to a subway station sign. "There's a subway."

"That's odd." Bianca remarked. "That wasn't here when Nico and I lived here."

I frowned. It wasn't a new station by any means. "You're twelve, right?"

The hunter nodded.

"The subway can't be less than 12 years old. It must've been here for like thirty years before you two lived here. Maybe you missed it?"

"Maybe." She agreed, going down the stairs to the subway.

We got on a train, not having a specific destination. We went to the back of the bus and gathered around one another.

"Bianca," Zoë looked at her friend. "who is the president of the United States?"

She told us the right president.

"And who was the president before that?" Zoë pressed.

Bianca thought for a moment. "Hoover? No, Roosevelt. Roosevelt, for sure."

Percy's face paled. "Which one?"

I smacked the back of his neck. "Does it matter? That was a long time ago, Bianca. I think someone tampered with yours and Nico's age or something."

"What? Why would someone do that?"

"Don't know but we'll find out." I assured her. "In the meantime, let's switch trains."

We did just that. And we did it again until we exited the subway, ending up on the outskirts of D.C. We found ourselves in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"

We huddled around his fire. My teeth were chattering. "Well this is g-g-g-great."

 _"_ Thank you, Tony the Tiger." Percy muttered.

"Shut it, Jackson."

I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A dangerous monster was on the loose. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless person's fire.

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends."

"Well, I don't see your squad rolling up." Percy said rudely.

I expected the man to get angry but his expression remained kind. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's . . . rather convenient," Grover said. "Thanks, uh . . ."

He turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him. Huh.

An hour later we were heading west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoë and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Grover was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And I had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so I could pick up the altrock stations from D.C.

"Can I join you or are you going to slap me again?"

I nodded and Percy climbed into the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"About what?" He asked.

"Slapping you. Heat of the moment and all." I turned down the volume so he could hear me.

"It's cool." A moment of silence followed before he spoke again. "At the museum, when we first split up in different directions, Zoë was telling me about how you two met. I wanted to know why you didn't like her and vice versa."

I bit my lip. "I almost joined but I would've had to leave Luke. And I just...I couldn't."

"Zoë told you he would be a disappointment. She was right."

I gripped the steering wheel, getting defensive. "He wasn't always this way. He just got so angry at times. He was angry that I got turned into a tree and at the gods. Especially Hermes. That's why he joined Kronos. He's not a bad person, he's just going through some tough times. We've all made some bad choices."

"Being right hand to the source of all evil is a pretty bad choice, Thalia." Percy breathed. "He poisoned you. He tried to kill me. You haven't seen him. He's changed, Thalia."

"He thought he was poisoning the tree, not me. He didn't know I was still alive. Well, sort of." I insisted.

"You're going to have to fight him." His gaze was getting intense. "You may have to kill him."

I stilled. "I'll do whatever I have to do."

"Good," Percy swung open his door. "Because if you don't, I will."

With that, he left and climbed onto the car above me. I stared straight ahead, my eyes burning. I thought I heard some noise from above me but I shook it off. It was probably just him and Grover talking. I thought about Percy's last words and shuddered. Luke was traitor and all but I couldn't imagine killing him. Hopefully, it would've have to come that.

I drifted off to sleep, holding onto that hope.

* * *

The next morning, I got up just as the sun began to rise. The cars had stopped so I got out and found the group near a ski cabin.

"Where are we?"

"New Mexico." Grover answered, messing around with some acorns. "We're heading towards San Francisco."

"Towards the Mountain of Despair." Percy's hair was slightly disheveled. "The titan's magic is strong there. It shifts every few decades, just like Olympus but I should be able to sense it."

"It must be well guarded then. Especially if that's where they're keeping Artemis." Bianca concluded. "Can we get there in time and get Artemis to the Winter Solstice meeting on time?"

"All we need to do is get Artemis out of her chains. She can flash to Olympus in a matter of seconds." Percy cleared his throat. "Besides, I know someone on the inside. He can get us through. All we need to figure out is how to get up the mountain. It's a treacherous climb."

"Leave that to me." Zoë said.

"We should get going-"

Percy was interrupted by the sound clanking bones. The skeleton warriors.

"Great." I activated my shield and spear, standing in a defensive position.

Suddenly, Grover dropped his acorns and nearly collapsed onto the floor. Bianca and Percy managed to get him back up but he was groaning, saying something about the Wild.

"A gift." He moaned. "A gift from the wild."

"Sure thing, buddy." Percy threw the satyr over his shoulder. "We need to run before they...find us."

His voice faltered at the end because the skeletons were now surrounding us. One of the spoke-or clattered, rather-into a phone.

"If he's getting reinforcements, then we're in some serious trouble." Percy tried to steady Grover who was practically convulsing at this point.

"A gift!" He repeated.

"It's not quite Christmas yet, Grover. Stay with us now." The son of Kronos and Poseidon shifted the satyr, uncapping his pen.

Just as we started to attack the skeletons, a screeching sound interrupted us and I saw a pair of wings flash before my eyes. In that instant, I felt a powerful aura. It was demanding my full attention and I now understood the compulsion Grover had been under. The wings returned in my sight vision, the animal knocking the skeletons left and right.

" _REEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!"_ It was a massive wild boar and once it was playing bowling with the skeletons, it turned towards us.

"The Erymanthian Boar," Zoë recognized.

"It's a gift," Grover looked at the thing like it was the last enchilada in the world. "A blessing from the wild!"

The boar began to paw the ground and I knew that at any moment it could charge us.

"I've got an idea-this is our ride west." The satyr said. "It travels almost as fast as the speed of light. We need to get aboard."

I gaped at him but he walked over to the boar and played some tunes on his pipes. An apple from Grover's pack floated in front of the boar and while the boar was distracted trying to grab it, Grover climbed on board.

Zoë and Bianca climbed on board next, leaving plenty of space for Percy and me. Percy got on next then I climbed on last.

"It's gone now," Grover said, his tone somber. "I wish I had more time to look around."

"What's gone now?" Bianca asked.

"Pan," Zoë answered simply. "The presence of Pan."

* * *

After an hour or so, the boar landed by a small river to stop and drink. We quietly got off and headed in the opposite direction, careful not to catch its attention. We headed upstream and decided to set up camp and wait until it was cooler to start walking again.

As we were walking, Percy held his hand up and all of us halted, alert.

"What the hell..." he trailed off, bending down by the bank of the river to touch something in the water. "What are you doing here, huh? How'd you get all the way here, Bessie?"

An animal floated to the surface and I squinted at it, trying to recognize what exactly it was. It looked like a cross between a cow and serpent but I wasn't completely sure.

"What is it?" I ask. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"I'm not actually sure," he petted the animal. "I named her Bessie, I rescued her from a net earlier this month. That was off of Long Island Sound, though. What is she doing here, though? All the way in New Mexico."

"Why don't you ask her?" Zoë suggested.

"Can't-don't understand what she's saying." Percy looked at Grover. "Can you talk to her?"

"I can try." Grover knelt down and rested a hand on Bessie's head, closing his eyes. The animal mooed a few times, each sound sounding more frantic.

Grover's eyes flew open. "This creature...it's old. Almost as old as the gods with immense power. He's afraid-the manticore is after him so he came for your help Percy."

" _He_?" Percy frowned. "Bessie's a _he?"_

"Never mind that, Thorn is on his way!" Bianca's face was pale.

"What if this is the monster Lady Artemis was searching for?" Zoë looked at us, realization setting in. "It must be; this isn't a coincidence."

"Bessie's practically harmless." Percy's voice had an edge of defensiveness. "For Zeus' sake, he couldn't even get himself out of a _net._ "

"Au contraire, son of Kronos, this creature can take out the gods." I gritted my teeth as Thorn stepped into view, a group of skeleton warriors behind him. "The fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed it and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods. The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was killed by a giant ally of the Titans but Zeus sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. Now, after the three thousands years, the Ophiotaurus has reformed."

"Sweet, I call dibs." Percy replied sarcastically, brandishing his sword.

Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of him raised their guns.

"Wait!" Grover said, standing up. "Zoë, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The satyr is right, Zoë Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" I growled, spear and shield ready for some serious ass-kicking.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. I almost forgot to breathe. It made terrible sense. Too much sense. It was the nineteenth-I was only three days away from turning sixteen. Doomsday was happening right now and it the choice was mine.

I opened my mouth to tell Thorn off, but a small voice in the back my head made me hesitate.

 _Power,_ it said. _Unlimited power._

With that kind of power, I would never be afraid again. I would never have to run from hordes of monsters. I would never be that girl who thought she was going to die just as safety was close within her reach. I would never have to feel the fear and helplessness I felt that day.

I could rule the world.

I looked at Bessie who was cowering in the shallow water. Just one quick slit and his entrails could be mine. I gripped my spear and edged my way toward the animal, aware that everyone's eyes were on me.

"Good girl, Thalia Grace." Thorn nodded approvingly. "All the power. All yours."

Just as I was reaching the bank of the water, Percy stopped me, a hand on my shoulder.

I looked at him, dazed just like I was the night I ran that zombie-fever. He was in my way.

"Move." I told him, trying to brush past him.

"Like hell." Percy's nostrils flared. "What are you doing, Sweetheart?"

"I...I don't know." I admitted, uncertain.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore pressed on, influencing my thoughts. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," Percy shook me furiously. "snap out of it!"

"I . . . I don't—"

"Your father has helped you," He said. "He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

My fingers involuntarily curled around my spear.

Suddenly, Grover sprang into action, raising his pipes to his mouth to play a quick riff.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoë, and before they could figure out that the kid with the pipes was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoë let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. The guards began coughing and started to scatter.

"Grover," Percy yelled, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo!" Grover translated.

"The cow . . ." I muttered, still in a daze.

"Come on!" Percy pulled me away from the bank and further upstream while the rest of the group followed.

The group caught up to us and we crossed the river at its shallowest which bought us some time before Thorn and his goons caught up to us.

"Go over the side!" Zoë told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

"I won't leave you guys," He said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" Grover said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Then I noticed the crystals making rainbows in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to me . . .

"Percy, the fountain." I pointed, the daze beginning to clear up.

He uncapped Riptide and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.

Grover threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"

The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" I said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was the last person I wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" I shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," I amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in.

"About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

Bianca looked at us. "We're dead. So dead."

I gripped my spear. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

I didn't see that it would make any difference, but I told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

I wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but I didn't have time. Thorn screamed, "There!" And we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him. The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any _real_ help. Wonderful."

"You could _ask_ for help," Mr. D murmured to Percy, as if this were an amusing thought. "You could say please."

Annnd we're screwed. Percy would never stoop to Mr.D's level. I could only hope my dad turned me into sycamore tree this time.

Zoë and Bianca readied their arrows. Grover lifted his pipes. I raised my shield, slightly shaken. This was it. I was brought back for such a short time only to end up in the same situation that cost years of my life. There were things I wanted to do. So many things.

I lifted my eyes to meet Percy's and he looked tormented. Absolutely torn.

"Please, Mr. D," He said quietly. "Help."

Of course, nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

The skeletons raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.

SNAP!

It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"No!" screamed Thorn. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, Dr. Thorn was no more.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."

Bianca stared at him, horrified. "How could you . . . How did you—"

"Such gratitude," he muttered then stared at me. "I hope you learned your lesson, Tatia. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

I looked down, ashamed.

"Mr. D," Grover said in amazement. "You . . . you saved us."

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, satyr. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"You called me by my right name," The son of Kronos and Poseidon realized. "You called me Percy Jackson."

"I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

"Mooo," Bessie said. He swam next to me as we jogged along the bank.

"But what about Bessie?" I asked, feeling bad for wanting shish kebab it earlier.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," Percy shrugged. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water here."

"So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"But he was following _me_ ," He pointed out. "If I'm not there, would he know where he's going?"

"Moo," Bessie said forlornly.

"I . . . I can show him," Grover said. "I'll go with him. I'm the only one who can talk to him," Grover said. "It makes sense."

He bent down and said something in Bessie's ear. Bessie shivered, then made a contented, lowing sound.

"The blessing of the Wild," Grover said. "That should help with safe passage. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

"Dad," He said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Grover safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," I said. "Something big."

He thought for a second then took off his coat.

"Percy," Grover said. "Are you sure? That lion skin . . . that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

He glanced at Zoë, who was watching him carefully.

"If I'm going to survive," He looked at her in the eyes, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

When the coat hit the water, It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," I told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um . . . Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And . . . it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and eventually they both disappeared under the waves.

"And then there were four." Bianca breathed, turning around and walking away. Walking west.

We walked in silence, the hunters in the front while Percy and I trailed behind them. He didn't talk, didn't mention the whole doomsday choice I could've made. I appreciated that, not ready to talk about it quite yet.

* * *

We had been walking for a while now before a white limo skidded to a stop in front of us, causing me to jump.

The back door of the limo opened right next to Percy and before he could step back, the tip of a sword grazed his throat.

"What the hell?" I twirled my mace canister and it took the form of a spear.

Zoë and Bianca notched their bows as the owner of the sword got out of the car, forcing Percy to move back.

A big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, dark washed jeans, and a white shirt smiled cruelly. "Miss me, Punk?"

"Ares." Percy spat.

The war god looked at us. "At ease, people."

I clutched my spear harder, pointing it at him. He chuckled then snapped his fingers, causing our weapons to fall to the ground.

"I come in peace." He inched the blade closer to Percy's neck, almost drawing blood.

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." Percy eyed the sword.

Ares jerked his head toward the limo. "As much as I would like to give you back-alley plastic surgery, I can't. My lady is in the car and I promised to play nice."

"You know where your head and ass are?" Percy smirked at the god. "Well, they're about to become well acquainted with each other."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try." The war god wore sun glasses but I could tell there was a dangerous look in his eyes. He wasn't the type to be messed with and of course, Percy had made an enemy of him.

"You might want to rethink that." Percy laughed low. "Actually, you might want to think in general."

My eyes widened and I took one last look at Percy Jackson because he was about to die.

Surprisingly, Ares chuckled then pushed the demigod away, facing us.

"Whatever, punk. I'm not here for you." Ares nodded toward Zoë and me. "I'm here for them."

"Us?" Zoë asked, surprised.

"I'm not leaving them here with you." Percy shook his head, one hand clutching his pen.

"We'll be fine." I said quickly. "Go."

"Like hell." He protested.

"Percy, please." Zoë met his gaze and he sighed.

"Come on, Bianca. We'll catch up with them later."

The new hunter sighed but walked away with Percy, leaving Zoë and me with the god of war.

"Get in, ladies." Ares opened the door and I went in first, Zoë following.

The god shut the door and I stared at the woman next to me. She was absolutely stunning. She looked like an actress from a long time ago but appeared timeless. Her appearance kept changing and every time it did, she appeared more beautiful.

"Lady Aphrodite." Zoë's face soured.

"Hunter." The goddess said distastefully then smiled at me. "Mind if we switch spots, Thalia?"

"Mind if we switch bodies?" I retorted.

"Aren't you just a little darling?" She tilted her head and I maneuvered around so that she was sitting between Zoë and me.

"The three of us need to have a girl chat..." Aphrodite started, looking at the both of us. "About Percy Jackson."

"Oh baby Zeus," Zoë groaned. "We have nothing discuss."

"You and I both know that isn't the case." The goddess smiled. "So Thalia, ready to profess your undying love for Percy?"

"W-what?"

"Did I stutter?" She asked, her now-blue eyes seeming to peer into my soul. "He's very attractive, you know. If you heard even a fraction of the thoughts my daughters have about him, you would've scooped him up already. So what's stopping you, huh?"

"This one?" The goddess pointed a slender finger at Zoë. "Because trust me, no competition there." She motioned to the tiara on Zoë's head.

"I...I don't know." I answered. "It's just that...it's _Percy_."

"I'm not seeing the problem here..."

"Look, Lady Aphrodite." I leaned forward so Zoë could see me as well. "Percy treated me like a red headed step-child the first time we met. He embarrassed me at dinner once, along with this one."

"I cannot say thee did not deserve it." Zoë's jaw locked.

"Anyway, if I admitted that I felt even a fraction of affection towards him; it'd be like saying that I was okay with what he had done. And I'm not."

"But Thalia, when you love someone, you have to forgive and forget. Forgiving love is one of my favorite types of love." Aphrodite put a hand over her heart, smiling. "But star-crossed lovers-that's what really gets me going." She winked at Zoë.

"Percy and I aren't 'star crossed' lovers. I mean, the way we met was hardly ordinary but apart from that, our relationship has developed normally."

"Oh! I know, story time!" Aphrodite clapped her excitedly and looked at me. "Thalia has been dying to know. Tell us how you and Percy met, Zoë Nightshade."

The lieutenant looked uncomfortable but tipped her gaze towards me. "Sometime last year, I met Percy. I was se-"

"Before he went on the quest to find the fleece?" I asked.

"Yes. He was heading toward camp when we met." Zoë took a breath before speaking. "I was separated from the hunt because a horde of hell hounds were chasing us. I told the girls to keep running while I distracted the hounds. It took a bit of convincing but eventually they left and I faced the monsters alone. I put up a good fight but they were much stronger; I had cuts and bruises all over me before I decided to retreat. So I ran and they followed me. I was running for a long time before I came across a horde of empousai. They were searching for a boy, saying something about the titan Lord needing him. I did not get to listen to much of their conversation because the hell hounds had caught up with me. I was weakened and needed to stop so I went into a cave I had seen earlier."

Zoë paused before picking back up again. "When I entered the cave, I realized I wasn't alone. A sword was pointed at my chest. The owner said, 'you have three seconds to tell me why you're here or they will be the last words you say.'"

"Sounds like something Percy would say." I nodded.

"He is so warm and friendly." Zoë joked before continuing. "I told him I was only there to seek refuge because of the hounds following me. He lowered his sword and asked me if I'd seen a camp of empousai and I told him I did. Apparently, they had been stalking outside his cave for weeks, making it unable for him to leave and go to camp. He groaned and spun around, taking a seat on a couch. He po-"

"Wait," I held up a hand. "A couch?"

"Yes, Percy lives in a cave."

I snickered. "Really? Why?"

"'Less flammable than houses', he says."

"What kind of decoration does he have?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Weaponry." She answered. "And a couch and a bed. Two mini fridges, I think."

"Figures." I nodded.

"Um hello?" Aphrodite snapped her fingers. "The story?"

"Oh right." Zoë took a moment to remember where she'd left off. "He pointed to the tiara hovering above my head and asked me what it was. I told him about the Hunt and that I was the lieutenant. He offered me a seat and although I was reluctant, it was either sit or face the monsters outside. By this time, the hellhounds and empousai were outside the cave, growling. Percy had some sort of invisible defense system that prevented them from coming in but only temporarily. So we were safe for about twenty minutes."

Zoë's hands began to shake. "There was no other way to escape. In twenty minutes, those monsters would come in and we would perish. I was so drained and weak that I just accepted my fate. I am not comfortable around males so I settled far away from him but I noticed his sword. Let's just say, that sword and I have history. I asked him how he had obtained it and he told me that his mentor-Chiron-had given it to him. He told me about camp and his quest to find your father's bolt. I would not divulge much information about my past so he used his time powers to find out."

I frowned, feeling as though Percy had used that power on me at one time. "A few months ago...Percy knew my last name. I don't use it often-do you think he used that power on me and that's how he knew it?"

"Likely." Zoë said. "He only gets snippets of a past, not the entire thing. He asked me about my life before the hunt and I told him. There was no use in hiding it since he had already seen some of it and not the mention the monsters were nearing. He told me about his dreams, his fears, the people he loved, and just everything. I did the same, thinking we'd die. Eventually the monsters came in and Percy stopped time. There were so many of them and he couldn't freeze them for long. He told me to leave and although I initially refused, eventually I left. The last image I had of him was him holding that sword against a horde of monsters. I was sure he had died that night. I made my way back to the hunt, thinking I'd never see him again."

"Then you did." I said. "At Westover Hall."

"You can imagine my surprise then, I'm sure." Zoë chuckled. "After that night, I thought about how much I enjoyed his company-a _man's_ company-and a part wished he wasn't dead. And lo and behold..."

"The next day, he looked for you." Aphrodite's tone was somber. "He fought off those monsters all night, nearly dying in the process. He wanted to talk to you again."

"I was long gone by the time the sun came up." Zoë looked away, staring out the window.

"His emotions were so strong, they caught my attention almost immediately. He felt a connection to you, Zoë. You understood him like no else had before. You didn't even bat an eye when he told you one of his parents was Kronos. You understood the titan part of Percy and he desperately wanted that understanding back." Aphrodite turned to me and lifted my chin to face her. "Don't be distraught, Thalia. He feels the same connection with you. He's been trying to figure you out since the day you knocked on his door. You're nothing like he expected. He expected you to be adamant about the line of good and evil. He never thought you would accept him for who he is. Not in a million years. You're everything he wants to be-everything he told Zoë the night he met her; it's in you, Thalia."

The goddess of love leaned back and looked at the both of us. "Now the question is, which one of you does he want the most?"

I thought back to our conversation in the library and if Aphrodite had asked me that question then, I would've said yes. Now, I looked back at Zoë and I wasn't so sure.

"It's her, of course." Zoë said, turning toward us. "Percy knows my loyalty remains with Lady Artemis and the Hunt."

"You could break your oath." I said. Of course, I didn't want her to but it was a possibility.

The goddess pulled out a nail file and began filing her already-manicured nails. "Oh, sweetie, it doesn't work that way. If Zoë were in love with Percy, that pretty tiara of hers would've faded a _looong_ time ago. But of course, she hasn't told him that yet."

The lieutenant gritted her teeth. "Percy knows how I feel about him. We are not destined for a romantic relationship."

"Does he?" Aphrodite stopped filing her nails. "He may be waiting for you to make the first move. He'd be devastated if knew he had been pinning for you and you never even saw him _that_ way."

"Well, he is not ever going to find out. Besides," Zoë looked down, sighing. "There's too much risk in loving."

"No," Aphrodite said with such conviction that I whole-heatedly believed her. "There's too much risk in not."

My heart began pounding and I thought of what it would be like to love Percy. To have someone to depend on yet tease every five seconds. To have someone so loyal and see your beauty, despite the flaws. To have _him._

"It terrifies thee, does it not?" Zoë whispered and my head turned towards her.

"It scares thee to love someone like Percy. Someone who is so much of a storm. There are moments he will be quiet-and trust me, those are rare-but most of the time he will be on fire. You have to expect that he will fight thee and love thee at the same time."

"It will feel like..." Zoë looked at Aphrodite for help.

"It'll feel like loving a hurricane." The goddess finished. "And I think you are up for the challenge, Thalia."

I gave a small smile before looking at Zoë; I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"I'd never thought I'd say this but Lady Aphrodite is correct. You are Percy's equal and it may take him a while to see that-may the gods help his ego but one way or another, you two will find comfort in one another. Trust me, Thalia-I've always been correct when it comes to you and men. This one's a good one, don't let him go."

"You have always been right about guys, Zoë Nightshade." I laughed. "Thank you, Zoë. I'll think about what you said-what the both of you said."

Aphrodite put away her nail filer and clapped her hands. "Alright, mission Perlia is underway! The plan has been Zoë-approved and I'm excited to see you two get together."

The goddess' smile faded and for a while, her eyes glowed.

"Lady Aphrodite?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. I turned to Zoë, trying suppress my panic. "What's wrong with her?"

"I will call Ares." The lieutenant had a hand on the window button but before she got a chance to push, the goddess gasped and her eyes returned to normal.

A smile appeared and for a moment, I thought she looked like a Cheshire cat. She turned to me, a mysterious glint in her eyes.

"Oh this is rich!" She squealed. "Thalia, your love interest pool has expanded and it looks like your boy toy is going to have some competition. Someone totally unexpected and head over heels in love with you. Now _this._..this is going to be good."

"Wait, what? Who is it?" I asked, bewildered. "What do you mean 'someone totally unexpected?' Do I know them?"

"Enough questions, it's time to introduce yet another sub-plot and leave the readers in suspense. Have fun, girls. Also don't pick up anything in the junkyard-my husband's very picky with his little trinkets." Aphrodite snapped her fingers and the doors flew open. "Ta ta, Thalia!"

"Goodbye, Lady Aphrodite." I said before exiting the limo. Zoë got out as well and took a few steps until she was standing next to me.

"I'll see you around, ladies." Ares smirked, opening the drivers door. "Oh and tell that runt to watch it-I'll be back for him."

With that, the war god closed the door and drove off, leaving Zoë and me in the dust.

"Well, that was certainly interesting." Zoë said, garnering a laugh from me.

She joined in and eventually we stopped, realizing how crazy we must've looked.

The girl sighed, glancing at me. "Thee isn't as terrible as I had originally thought."

"You're not too shabby yourself." I said, sticking out a hand. "Do you mind if we start over?"

"I would like that." Zoë shook it and a moment of understand passed between us before we dropped our hands.

Two distant figures began approaching and I heard Percy's voice carry through the wind.

"...Lotus Casino, huh?" He was saying. "Must have some sort of magic tied to it if time works differently there."

"What?" I yelled, waving them over.

"Nothing. Tell you later." Percy's hair fell in front of his eyes. "What did Ares want with you?"

"Nothing." Zoë said.

"Tell you later." I added, snickering.

"Good one." Zoë gave me a high five.

Percy looked at us, bewildered. "Who are you people and where are the real Zoë and Thalia?"

"You're looking at them, Seaweed Brain." I stuck my tongue out at him as Zoë turned around, heading toward massive piles of metal-the junkyard, I assumed.

"Where are you going?" Bianca asked.

The lieutenant looked over her shoulder. "I think we have to pass this junkyard to keep heading west. Don't touch anything, though."

Percy, Bianca, and I shrugged, following her. I tried to not touch things but the stuff was so cool. I found some really cool nun-chunks that had lightning bolts on it. Percy found a shield the size of a small asteroid.

Even Zoë found a pretty sweet bow.

"Alright, we need to get going..." Bianca's voice faltered as she stared at the ground.

"What is it?" I slid down a pile of metal and stood beside her. Zoë and Percy hopped off from the giant fridge they were on and joined us.

"Those are some huge toes." I remarked. They were at least ten-ton, giant metal feet sticking out from underneath a pile of scraps.

Zoë shivered. "Let's go around it-something is not right."

"Agreed." I said, beginning to step around the toes. The others had begun to do the same when suddenly, the toes flexed.

"Oh no, no. No flex zone." I pointed to the toes who had now shaken the metal scraps off. The toes then planted firmly and a second later, a large shadow loomed over us. I forced myself to look up and there was-a massive, about 20 feet tall robot stared down at us.

"Talos-one of Hephaestus creations." Zoë whispered. "It must be a defective model."

Apparently it didn't like being called 'defective' because it slammed its fist down, nearly crushing me and Bianca.

"Bianca, watch out!" I yelled, rolling away. She got the message and slid away just before Talos' fist came crashing down. Percy stabbed Talos' foot with his sword while my eyes darted between Zoë and Bianca.

"Alright, if anyone took anything-drop it! Maybe he'll leave us alone then!" I yelled, activating my shield.

"I did not take anything." Zoë's eyes zeroed in on the other hunter. "Bianca Di Angelo, I swear to the moon and stars-you must drop whatever item you have or else we will all perish."

Bianca's lower lip jutted out and she had tears in her eyes. "B-but..."

Percy was now running circles around Talos, trying to confuse him. "Bianca, drop it like Hera dropped Hephaestus from Olympus! Now!"

The giant automaton glared at Percy at the sound of his creator's name then swatted him away like a fly. Zoë ran over to him, moving as fast as lightning.

"No!" I yelled before charging the giant. Lightning encased my spear as I pointed toward his feet, attempting to get him to fall over. If he fell over, I could enter his main circuit and fry him.

When Talos didn't fall back but was trying to regain his balance, I decided the best route was to go in. "Bianca, cover me! I'm going in!"

The hunter rushed over to me, fear written all over her face. "No, I'll go. I can dismember some wires and disable him. You're the child of the prophecy, you can't die."

"I'm more experienced-I'll get out, just cover me. Get him to raise his foot again."

"Please, Thalia. It's my fault we're in this mess; let me get us out. Here," She open my palm, placing a small figurine in it. "Give this to Nico...just in case something happens to me. Tell him that I love him and that he's the best, most annoying little brother a girl could ask for."

I nodded, understanding. Bianca wanted to do this and there was nothing I could do to stop her.

I gave her hand one last squeeze before placing the figurine in my pocket. I darted out in front off Talos just as he was heading towards Percy and Zoë.

"Hey big guy!" I yelled, conducting electricity through my spear. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh?"

When I got his attention, I directed a stream of electricity at his foot. When it lifted, Bianca ran under, opening a latch door before entering the automaton.

"Go Bianca!" I yelled as Zoë and Percy reappeared beside me. He was clutching his arm but otherwise, he seemed fine.

"Is she _in_ there?" The lieutenant asked, eyes wide.

I nodded and Bianca was doing a good job too-Talos had begun trembling, his bronze limbs falling apart at the joints. Things were looking bomb af for us until Talos stumbled backwards, kicking the foot that Bianca had entered in toward the opposite side of the desert. It happened so fast that none of us could do anything. I heard a piercing, pained scream, an explosion, and then...nothing. Talos fell to the ground, his eyes wide open as what was left of his body shook violently once more. Then he stopped, dead.

"Bianca!" Zoë ran off in the direction the foot had been thrown away in.

"Are you okay?" Gold eyes and furrowed brows filled my vision.

"I'm okay." I said but my voice cracked on the last words. There was no Bianca had survived that blast. She was gone...all because of a figurine. What was so important about that figurine that she had to lose her life?

Then it hit me. I pulled out the figurine, hands trembling. "Oh my gods, what am I going to tell Nico? I promised him I'd do my best to protect her and now...now this." A lump formed in my throat. Nico Di Angelo was now alone. No sister. No mortal parent and I highly doubted his godly parent would claim him. Nobody.

"Hey, what's this?" Percy lifted my chin as I handed him the figurine.

"She wanted me to give this to Nico."

"It's Hades-from his mythomagic game." He turned the object over and it was Hades. "It was the only figurine he didn't have. He'd piss his pants to even get a glimpse of this. Bianca knew how much he wanted this and after she joined the hunters, things have been strained between them. That's what she was telling me while you and Zoë were with Ares. I guess she thought this would at least be a start to mending their relationship."

"Now she's dead." I whispered, looking away.

"No, we don't know that for sure." He slid the figurine back into my pocket. "Join up with Zoë to look for her. I'll look northeast."

"Okay." I mumbled, shoulders and heart heavy. Just before I turned, Percy caught my arm and turned me to face him.

My gaze tilted up as I tried to read his expression.

"Thalia, I'm...I'm glad it wasn't you in there. I don't know what I would've done if it had been."

My heart skipped a beat and I didn't know how to respond. So I didn't. I rose my lips to his cheek and kissed it before pulling away. "Come back to me?"

"Always." He said immediately, eyes smoldering.

I looked away, the lump in my throat growing. When I looked back, he was gone. I made my way toward Zoë, retracting my weapons as I did so.

The lieutenant looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. "I cannot find her...she must be somewhere. She has to be."

"I'm here. I'll help." I laid a hand a shoulder. "We won't stop looking for her."

"Yes, we will not." She agreed.

I dropped my hand and began calling Bianca's name repeatedly. Zoë did the same and soon an hour passed. Then two hours. And then three. Every hour, Zoë was growing restless and I had begun to worry about Percy who hadn't shown up yet.

"We should go look over there. We haven't tried that pile yet." I pointed to a near pile of metal.

"Yes, we have. I've drawn circles around every pile we have searched."

I followed Zoë's gaze and realized that almost every pile had a circle around it.

"Well let's take a break and wait for Percy. He'll know what to do." I walked over to a pile that hadn't been circled but was just a bunch of clothes. There was no way Bianca was in there. I sat down, dejected.

Then I heard an 'Ow.'

"Baby kittens, Zoë! Come over here-I think she's in here."

The lieutenant high tailed it over and helped me sift through the clothes to find our missing friend. When I finally felt something that felt like human skin, I lifted a shirt. Underneath it were human feet dressed in black converse.

A memory played in my mind and I heard the words, ' _I thought I'd match with Lee._ '

That was Annabeth. The day we bought our winter formal dresses and shoes.

And sure enough, Lee Fletcher's chocolate brown eyes met mine. "Miss me?"

I extended my hand, pulling him up. "You lucky bastard."

* * *

"I'm sure he's okay," Zoë said again. "Thalia, he'll be back soon. Besides, he's not in any danger because you're still alive."

I stopped pacing the length of the tent, wringing my hands. Fear had rooted inside my gut from the moment it got dark and Percy was still nowhere to be found. "You don't understand. He should be back by now."

"You should eat something-you've been through a lot today." Lee sat on a bean bag, tracing designs into the flaps on the tent. Obviously, he hadn't found Annabeth but that was because the warrior skeletons had practically chased him all the way to Arizona. He was making his way past the desert when he heard Talos awaken so he hid in a pile of clothes, only to be found by Zoë and me hours later.

I ignored Lee's comment and started pacing again. "He's been gone for hours. It's almost ten."

"Thalia, he's fine." Zoë got up, clasping my hands. She looked worn out and I think she was beginning to accept Bianca's fate. "Worst case scenario Ares got a hold of him. Trust me, Percy Jackson can handle his own."

"But why would it take so long with him?"

"Because Ares likes to give him crap and he likes to give it back," Lee said, yawning. "It's like a parasitic relationship between the two."

I laughed weakly. "That's true."

Zoë's brows knitted. "If he's not back by morning, we should go look for him."

Nodding, I pulled my hands free and started wearing a path in the tent again.

"Thalia," Lee began slowly. "I'm surprised that you're so concerned about Percy's welfare."

A flush swept over my cheeks. I didn't want him to look too closely at why I was so concerned. "Just because he's…he's Percy…doesn't mean I want anything bad to happen to him."

Watching me closely, Zoë winked at me. "Are you sure it's not more than that?"

I halted. "Of course."

"You guys were getting awfully close at Westover Hall." Lee leaned his head back, eyes narrowed. "I've never seen him get so close to someone in such a short time. Not even Annabeth."

"There's nothing going on between us." I said.

Lee laughed. "Okay. If you say so, but I understand why you two would keep it hidden. You guys are known for your word war and everything else. But if you two ever decide to make it official, you two can come on a double date with me and Annabeth."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "I'll hold you to that when we get her back."

"You're on." He smiled.

Tingles spread over my neck. Without thinking, I spun around and raced across the tent. Throwing open the tent's flaps, I rushed out into the cold night air.

I didn't even think.

Percy had reached the tent's opening when I rushed him, wrapping my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight.

He seemed stunned for a second, and then his arms swept around my waist. For several moments, neither of us spoke. We didn't need to. I just wanted to hold him—for him to hold me. Maybe it was the connection wrapping us together. Maybe it was something infinitely deeper. At that moment, I didn't care.

"Whoa there, Sweetheart, what's going on?"

Burrowing closer, I drawled in a deep breath. "I thought Ares had carted you off in a cage."

"Cage? You have quite the imagination." He laughed a bit unsteadily. "No. No cages. I didn't even come across him. Everything's okay."

Zoë cleared her throat. "Ahem."

Stiffening, I realized what I was doing. Oh, so not cool. Disentangling my arms and wiggling out from his, I backed up and blushed. "I…I was just excited."

"Yeah, I'd say you were," Zoë said, grinning like an idiot.

Percy was staring at me like he'd just won the lottery. "I kind of like this level of excitement. Makes me think of—"

"Percy!" both of us shouted.

"What?" He grinned, tousling Zoë's hair. "I was only suggesting—"

"We know what thee were suggesting." Zoë darted out from underneath his hand. "And I really want to keep my food down tonight." She smiled at me. "See. I told thee. Percy is fine."

I could see that. He was also smokin' hot, but back to the whole point. "Why were you gone for so long?"

"I found Bianca." He paused, his eyes searching Zoë's in the dim moonlight. "I buried her right beneath the Ursa Major. Your favorite constellation, right?"

"Yes." Zoë's gaze fell and when she looked back at him, her eyes were watery. "Thank you, Percy."

"Are you okay, Zoë?" He asked.

"I'll be alright. Just need some sleep." She looked fragile in the moonlight. "Permission to rest, my Lord?"

"Permission granted, Zoë." Percy said somberly.

I reached out and gave Zoë's hand a squeeze. "'Night, Zoë."

"Goodnight, Thalia." The lieutenant disappeared inside the tent.

" _Three shall perish, one in the land without rain."_ I shivered, looking up at the bear constellation. "Gods, I should've never let her go in there."

"Bianca sacrificed her life for us. We have to keep going on this quest." His voice lowered as he cupped my cheek. "The three of us can do this."

My eyes closed. The warmth of his hand eased some of the fear. "Actually, there's four of us now. We found Lee."

"That lucky bastard." Percy moved closer, and before I knew it, I was in his embrace again. "No Annabeth, I assume?"

I let him hold me for a couple of moments, soaking up his warmth, but then I slipped free. "No, unfortunately."

He was silent for a moment so I lifted my eyes, meeting his. "I'm glad you're okay."

He smiled. "I know."

I could have stood there staring at his sparkling eyes all night, but something urged me to run as far away from him as quickly as I could. Something bad was going to come from all of this. Percy was bad news and prone to constant danger, but I wanted nothing more to remain by his side. I wasn't quite sure what that said about me.

I turned around and walked into the tent, exhaustion sweeping over me as dropped myself onto a bean bag, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N-So there's going to be a slight change in updating-I'm updating once a week, on saturdays. There's only three more chapters left so it won't be much of a strain I hope. I have three more weeks of school so I figured it works better that way. I know this chapter was long but the next will be slightly shorter, should be less than 6,000 words. Maybe. That sounds insane but I'm low key proud of myself-I used to struggle to even get a 1,000 words and now I'm like 1,000 words-that's a prologue. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N-Hey guys! This is a rather short chapter compared to the last one-you're welcome. I'm just getting the group to Cali and whatnot. We've got a bit of a Perlia scene going on at the end. It's the same one from the end of the Child of Time: Marked. The little sneak peek I released, if anyone remembers. I've changed a few lines but other than that, it should have the same gist. The second part of that is pretty much changed to the max because obvi Annabeth isn't around and they're not at camp. Hope you guys are having a good day and happy reading!**

* * *

 **After miles of walking, we finally made it to California.** San Francisco, specifically, the welcome sign had lights around the city's name. It was getting dark but the sun was still out, I noticed. A fog was settling over the city.

"We're in California," Lee stated, looking directly at the sun. I scoffed, the rest of us were shielding our eyes from the sun while the son of Apollo was just basking in it. Maybe that's why he was was able to survive so long in the Arizona desert. "Now what?"

Zoë paled and pointed across a nearby bay, past the Golden Gate Bridge. "The Garden of Hesperides. My former home."

"It's too late to get there now, though. The sun has already set." Percy sighed, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Lee and me. "The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," He explained. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night. Tomorrow is the twentieth so if we don't make it in by then-we're screwed. Right now, we just need to focus on finding a place to crash."

I started rifling through my backpack, searching for Fredrick Chase's address. Annabeth had given it to me a week before we went to Westover Hall-she wanted me to visit just in case she decided to move back in with her dad. "Annabeth's dad. He should be able to help us." I held up the crumpled piece of paper, hoping that the mortal wouldn't mind four grimy demigods showing up at his door in the dead of night.

* * *

He didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he seemed rather excited to have us there. Naturally, he was upset when we explained Annabeth's absence but was in better spirits knowing that we planned to rescue her.

Presently, Professor Chase was sitting in a chair while we all sat down on a bed. We were in the guest bedroom. Lee had already passed out and Zoë was looking like she was about to drift off as well.

"I'm afraid we'll have to continue this conversation, tomorrow." Dr. Chase pointed to my sleeping friends. "There's a guest house out back if you two wouldn't mind sharing a room."

"Umm..." I trailed off, glancing at Percy. There wasn't enough space here to stay with Lee and Zoë and it would be too much of a hassle to wake Lee up and have him share the guest house with Percy.

Besides, I was anxious for nothing. There was nothing going on between Percy and I, right?

I think Dr. Chase noticed my hesitation because he quickly piped up, "Oh, I don't mind if you two stay together. Annabeth's informed me of your constant bickering but I'm sure you guys can bury the hatchet for one night, right?"

"We'll try," Percy glances over at me, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "No promises, though."

"Great!" Dr. Chase clasped his hands before walking over to the closet door and returning with two items. He handed us two flashlights.

"Here's the keys." He handed me the keys. "There should be blankets and everything on the bed. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Goodnight, Dr. Chase." I got up, Percy at my heels.

The guest house was just behind the main house. There was a small living room, complete with a table and chair, and airplane models as decoration. Blue prints were hung up in the shape of an airplane. Percy was closing the door as I set my bag down on the floor, walking over to the center of the living room.

I felt Percy's gaze intensely from the other side of the room. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Sliding into his arms, kissing him and touching him—things I shouldn't think about. I blinked. "Nothing."

Percy waltzed over, holding my gaze. My whole body tensed as he neared and placed his hands on either side of me. Then he bent over the chair between us, resting his forehead against mine. He inhaled deeply and it came out in an unsteady rush. When he spoke, his voice was rough. "Do you know what I've been thinking about all day?"

With him, it was anyone's guess. "No."

His lips brushed the skin of my cheek. "Finding out if you look as good in striped socks as you do in reindeer ones."

"I do."

His head slanted and his smile was lazy, arrogant. Predatory. "I knew it."

I shouldn't let this happen. There was a whole slew of complications: his attitude, the connection between us, and the fact that I was days away from possibly making a doomsday decision.

Knowing all of that, I still didn't pull away. And neither did he. Oh no, he was moving closer. His pupils started to glow and his breath seemed to have stalled in his chest.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm not doing anything."

Percy shifted his head just enough that our lips brushed once…and then twice before he increased the pressure. This kiss…it was nothing like the other times, which seemed to be angry and challenging. As if we'd kissed to punish each other. But this was gentle and soft, feather light. Infinitely tender. Passion swept through me as we kissed, but soon the kisses, they weren't enough. Not when a slow fire was burning under my skin—and under his.

Cupping my cheeks, he exhaled a soft groan, and his lips scorched mine as he deepened the kiss until we both were breathless from its intensity. Percy moved as close as he could with the chair between us. Gripping his arms, I held onto him, wanting him closer. The chair prevented all but our lips and hands from touching. Frustrating.

Move, I ordered the winds restlessly.

It trembled under my foot, and then the heavy oak chair slid out from under me, dodging our leaning bodies. Unprepared for the sudden void, Percy lurched forward, and I was unable to carry the unexpected weight. I collapsed backward, bringing Percy along with me.

The full contact of his body, flush against mine, sent my senses into chaotic overdrive. His tongue swept over mine as his fingers splayed across my cheeks. His hand slid down my side, gripping my hip as he urged me closer. The kisses slowed and his chest rose as he drank me in. With one last lingering exploration, he lifted his head and smiled down at me.

My heart skipped a beat as he hovered over me with an expression that tugged deep in my chest. He moved his fingers back up, along my cheek, trailing an invisible path to my chin.

"I didn't move that chair, Sweetheart."

"I know."

"I'm assuming you didn't like where it was?"

"It was in your way," I said. My hands were still curled around his arms.

"I can see that." Percy smoothed a fingertip over the curve of my bottom lip before taking my hand, pulling me up. Letting go, he watched me carefully and waited. Waited for…

What had happened slowly sank in beyond the fog in my brain. I'd just kissed him. Again.

"We can't keep doing this." My voice shook. "We—"

"We like each other," he said, stepping forward, grasping the edges of the table on either side of me. "And before you say it, we were attracted to each other before the whole bond thing. You can't say that's not true."

He leaned in, his nose brushing my cheek. A shudder rolled through me. His lips pressed against the spot under my ear. "We need to stop fighting what we both want."

Air caught in my throat. I closed my eyes as his fingers inched down my v-neck, clearing a path for his lips to meet my wildly beating pulse.

"It's not going to be easy," he said. "It wasn't three months ago and it won't be three months from now."

My head tipped back, my thoughts swimming at his touch. There was something wicked in those hot little kisses he dropped all over my throat. "You know my dad would kill you if he even suspected we were together."

"I know. Sea spawn, ya da ya da." He let go of my turtleneck and slid his hand around the nape of my neck as his body pressed against mine. "Don't forget he's also my brother so I don't think there's much he could do."

"Right." I opened my eyes. His were glowing. "And this has nothing to do with the connection or Zoë?"

"No," he said, and then sighed. "It's about us. About what we feel for each other."

I was attracted to him on a level that was nearly painful. Being around him had every cell in my body burning, but this was Percy. Caving to him was like saying the way he'd treated me was okay. And more importantly, it required blind faith in the theory that our feelings were real. And when they turned out not to be? It would be heartbreak, because I would seriously fall for him—fall more than I already had.

"Why now, Percy?" Wiggling down, I dipped under his arms. Tears of frustration built in my eyes. "Why now, when three months ago you couldn't stand to breathe the same air as me? It's the connection between us. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Percy leaned against the table. "Dammit. Do you think I don't regret acting like such a douche to you? I've apologized." He stood there, towering over me. "You don't get it. None of this is easy for me. And I know this is hard for you. You have a lot to deal with. I didn't want you to get close to me. I didn't want another person to care about, to worry about losing. Thalia, you want me and I want you."

Deep down, I did want to be with him. And I wanted him to want me, not because we were the same atom split or because someone else liked me. Shaking my head, I went for the door. "You keep saying that…"

"What does that mean?" he demanded.

I squeezed my eyes shut briefly. "You say you want me, but that's not enough."

"I show you that I do, too."

Facing him, I cocked an eyebrow. "You do not."

"What was that?" Percy gestured at the table, and I flushed. People probably eat at that table… "I think I showed you that I like you. I can do it again if you're not clear on what that was. And I've brought you a smoothie and a cookie."

"You stuck the cookie in your mouth!" I threw my hands up.

He smiled at that, like it was a good memory. "The table…"

"Humping my leg like a dog in heat every time I'm around you doesn't prove you like me, Percy."

Percy clamped his mouth shut, and I could tell he was fighting back laughter. "Actually, that's how I show people I like them."

"Oh. Fine. Whatever. None of this matters, Percy."

"I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not giving up."

Not that I really believed he would. I reached for the bedroom door but he stopped me. "Do you know why I met you that day in the library?" he asked.

"What?" I faced him.

"Back at Westover Hall?" He ran a hand through his hair. "You were right. I picked the library because no one would see us together."

My mouth snapped shut and a sick feeling leached up my throat, causing it to burn. "You know what, I've always wondered if your ego was so big you didn't want to eat crow."

"And as always, you jump to the wrong assumption." His eyes pierced mine. "I didn't want Annabeth or Lee to make a big deal of everything. I know I'm an...intense person. I knew you needed time to get used to me. To the idea of us. So if you think I'm embarrassed of you or not ready to make my intentions very public, then you better get that idea out of your head. Because if that's what it takes, then it's on."

I stared at him. What in the hell was I supposed to say to that? Yeah, a part of me had believed it. How many people would kick a chick out of the mess hall like he had and then start wooing her? Not many. And then I remembered the lump of spaghetti hanging off his ear, heard Percy's amused laughter from the day that felt so long ago.

"Percy…"

His smile was really starting to concern me. "I told you, Sweetheart. I like a challenge."

He waited a while before realizing I wasn't going to break the silence.

"I'll sleep on the couch." He walked over to the bedroom and grabbed a blanket before settling on the couch. "Goodnight, Thalia."

I unfroze myself and walked stiffly to the bedroom. I shut the door behind me, turning on the lights.

I was so screwed.

* * *

It was about 8 a.m. when I woke up the next day. The twentieth. We had to enter the garden by sunset tonight or else Artemis wouldn't be at the winter solstice.

By the time I had gotten up and taken a shower, Percy had already left. I arrived at the Chase's house just as Annabeth's step mom and brothers were leaving.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Thalia." The small, Asian woman waved at me. "I'm taking the boys to school then I'm off to work."

"Okay, see you then." I waved at the twins before resting a hand on the doorknob. "Bye boys."

"Bye!" Their little blonde heads stuck out of the car window.

I watched them drive off before entering the house. I made my way to the kitchen, the smell of waffles hitting me as I entered.

"Morning, Thalia." Lee greeted, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

"Hey, Lee." I waved, looking around. Zoë smiled at me and I returned the gesture. Percy and Dr. Chase weren't there. "Sleep well?"

The son of Apollo gave Zoë a look. "She pushed me off the bed but other than that...just peachy."

"I need my space." The lieutenant said nonchalantly.

"It was King-sized bed!" Lee countered. "You sleep in tents all the time-you don't need that much space."

Zoë shrugged; indifferent. She turned to me and waved at the stacks of waffles and fruit salad on the table. "Help yourself-Dr. Chase will be with us shortly to discuss transportation to the Mountain of Despair."

"Thanks," I said as Lee handed me a plate. I snatched two waffles and a glass of milk. "So...where's Percy?"

Neither demigod had a chance to answer before a warm tingling spread across my neck.

Zoë's eyes flicked up behind me and widened. "Wow. Now that is unexpected."

Something smelled sweet and familiar. Confused, I twisted around in my chair. A single rose in full bloom, a vibrant red, brushed against the tip of my nose. Tan fingers held the green stem. My eyes lifted.

Percy stood there, his gold eyes glittering. He patted me on the nose with the rose again. "Good morning."

Dumbfounded, I stared at him.

"This is for you," he added when I didn't say anything.

Both Lee and Zoë were staring as my fingers wrapped around the cool, damp stem. Percy sat down before I could say anything. Cheeks flaming, I placed the rose next to my plate, and I honestly don't think I took my eyes off it.

When Percy had said he wasn't giving up, I had no idea he was going to go all balls-to-the-wall right off the bat. Why would he? Maybe he just wanted to have sex with me. And that had to be all, right? Hatred turned to lust. He'd been so against me months ago and now he wanted to be with me? Maybe he had a secret drug habit.

The light caught the moisture on the rose.

I looked up, catching Zoë's gaze. She mouthed, Nice.

Nice? It was nice and sweet and romantic and about a thousand other things that had my heart doing backflips. Sneaking a peek at Percy beside me, I watched him read the label from the milk jug. His brows were lowered in concentration. Thick, sooty lashes hid his eyes.

They lifted and his lips spread into a grin as he met my gaze.

Oh yeah, I was in so much trouble.

We all ate in silence before Dr. Chase entered the kitchen. We told him about the mountain of Despair-the mortals named it Mount Tamalplais, Mount Tam for short-and our sunset deadline.

We explained that the mountain had all kinds of taboo and it'd be best if he didn't come. He was reluctant at first and even tried to offer transporting us in his Camel helicopter but we declined, it was just too dangerous for a mortal. He did agree to let us borrow his car, though.

"I'm going to bring into the shop real quick." He was saying. "Make sure everything's working and all-you guys are going to be driving across some rough terrain, I'm afraid."

"Will you return by eight o'clock?" Zoë asked, concerned. "We need to get there by eight."

"I'll be back by then, trust me, I understand how important this is." Annabeth's dad reached for his coat and keys. "You kids can just hang out around here. Feel free to rummage through the cabinets or fridge. There should be some chips and frozen pizza if you get hungry."

We thanked him again and I listened as the front door closed.

"Alright, let's get this cleaned up." Lee began to clear the table and we all pitched in, Percy and I on dishwashing duty.

"Reminds me of dishwashing at camp." I mused as he handed me a soapy dishes. I rinsed it off and dried it.

"Minus the lava, of course." He added, laughing.

I chuckled and before I knew it, we had finished washing the dishes.

"Wait here," Percy said, holding my shoulders.

When I nodded, he walked away, heading up the stairs. I looked around, meeting Lee's eyes.

"What was that about?" He asked, putting away the last item.

"No idea," I answered, my gaze sweeping over the rose. "It's been an interesting morning."

"I'd say so." Zoë beamed at me before slipping out the back door.

A pang struck my heart. "She needs time to grieve." I realized.

"Time we don't have." Lee said somberly. A moment of silence passed before he spoke again. "I'm going to take a shower, holler if any monsters show."

I chuckled, "Sure thing. Get in the shower, kid; wouldn't want Annabeth to smell your B.O. when you two reunite."

Lee gave a small smile, before running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to see her again. I'm finally going to see her again."

"You will. I promise."

"I know." Lee's features lit up just before he began to mount the stairs. "Hey, don't forget that double date. That's going to happen."

"I'll save you a spot." I winked as the demigod went up the stairs. A moment later, Percy came into view.

He brought me a pumpkin spiced latte—my favorite.

I took the drink wordlessly, taking a sip. "Thanks but you can't buy me, Percy."

"We'll just see about that." He grinned.

* * *

Throughout the day, Percy became the bearer of gifts.

At eleven a.m., he presented me an egg and bacon breakfast croissant, at two p.m.-A red velvet cupcake, and a lily at four p.m. He did nothing to hide his intentions.

Every hour, Percy soaked up my time. Basically, the little weasel was trying at every opportunity to get close to me. Like, really, will-breaking, body-tingling close.

I was sitting in the guest bedroom with Zoë when I felt the tingling on my neck. Percy. I sighed and got up, opening the door.

Familiar feelings of anxiety slid through me. What did he have up his sleeve now? In other words, how much more could he possibly complicate my life? But strangely, even as innocent and clandestine as our interactions were, there was still a level of intimacy that couldn't be denied.

Percy was changing.

I was used to the sarcastic and rude Percy. In an odd way, that version was easier to deal with. We could trade insults all day. But this Percy…this one who wouldn't give up was kind and gentle, funny and—dear God—thoughtful.

Percy waited in the hallway, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. He had been gazing into the distance but pivoted around the moment I pushed open the door.

He brushed past me and further down the hallway. The scent of him, a mixture of the outdoors and sandalwood, followed. It was a heady aroma, all completely his.

"You look nice today," he commented unexpectedly.

I glanced down at my gray hoodie and tucked a tangled strand of hair behind my ear. "Uh, thanks." I cleared my throat. "So…what's up?"

His excuse for spending time with me was always the vague "Watching out for you," so I wasn't expecting anything different. "I just wanted to see you."

"Oh." Well, hell…

He chuckled. "I thought we could take a walk. It's nice outside."

Glancing back at the guest room door, I debated. Spending time with him wasn't something I should be doing. It just encouraged his…not-so-bad behavior.

"I'll behave myself," he said. "I promise."

I laughed at that. "All right, let's go."

It was brisk outside, nowhere near as cold as it would become once the sun set. "Exactly where are we going to take a walk?"

"Outdoors," he said dryly.

"Well, I think I figured that part out."

"You ask a lot of questions, you know."

"I've been told I'm very inquisitive."

He leaned forward and whispered, "I think I figured that part out."

He contemplated my silence then sighed. "There's a trail that leads to a grave yard. It's a bit cooler over there and considering that we're in California, we should be grateful for any shade."

"You're taking me to a grave yard." I said, voice flat.

An array of golden, red, and brown leaves blurred as Percy and I walked side by side. "Hey, at least I'm taking you somewhere."

"How gracious of you." I snorted.

"I try."

We walked in silence until we reached the grave yard, then Percy piped up.

"Killing at first used to bother me."

I tore my eyes away from the tombstones. What little sun that peeked through the clouds caught the auburn tint in his dark hair.

Percy smiled tightly. "I didn't like it, taking a life. I still don't. A life is a life."

"It's something you have to do. You can't change it." I told him. "Besides you only assassinate the bad guys, right? Don't dwell on it, Percy. It only wreaks havoc on you to dwell. It bothers me knowing that I've killed…monsters, but they're monsters and they'll always reform. Sometimes, it's killed or be killed."

"You aren't wrong for what you done. Never think that." His eyes met mine for a second, and he cleared his throat. "I don't feel anything when I kill."

I shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I do." His voice lowered. "I'm not a good person. I'm not going to pretend to differentiate between good and evil."

"I'm no saint either, Percy. Did you see me the other day? I almost caused doomsday right then and there."

"We all are tempted at times, Thalia. You can't beat yourself up over it." His voice was genuine, soft.

"And you can't insist that you're inherently bad." I countered. "I've seen the good you. That's who you are."

Percy smiled sadly. "I wish I could hold on to that person. I've been anxious all day-the mountain. I feel its pull and it's getting hard to ignore. That's why I'm telling you all this...someone needs to hear what I have to say before I turn into a bad egg."

"Just keep taking that potion, Percy. You'll be okay." I bridged the gap between us, tilting my gaze up at him. "I would never let anything like that happen to you."

"Thank you." He reached out, smoothing back a strand of hair that had escaped my ponytail. "Sometimes I just have to remember why I started this."

"Why did you?" I asked. "The whole assassin thing? Alliance with the gods?"

"My mother," he said quietly. "When I was a week old, Kronos took her. I didn't know where but when I was older, I knew I needed to find her. I ran away from the orphanage at fourteen and found an assassin' tomb. I knew this was my ticket to find her so I used it to get an alliance with gods. On my first quest, I went to the Underworld and asked Hades for my mother. He said she was in Tartarus. With Kronos."

Percy sucked in a sharp breath and I gasped, my heart breaking. "So that's where she's been for the past fifteen, almost sixteen years."

"That's who you were talking about at Westover Hall-when Annabeth got captured. You were afraid Kronos had the both of them-in Tartarus." I blinked back a few tears. "I'm so sorry...I couldn't imagine if...gods, I'm so sorry."

"That makes two of us." He captured my hand, bringing it to his lips, placing the lightest kiss against the center of my palm. A hot shiver went up my arm. Peering through his dark lashes, he burned me with one smoldering look.

My lips parted and my heart fluttered in my chest like the many leaves that fell to the ground around us. "Did you bring me out here just to get me completely alone?"

"That may have been a part of my master plan." Percy's head lowered and his hair fell forward, brushing my cheek. The slant of his mouth tilted and an exhilarating heartbeat later, his lips pressed against mine and my heart swelled.

I jerked back, breathing heavily. "No kissing," I whispered.

His fingers tightened around mine. "I'm trying not to."

"Then try harder." I slipped my hand free and took a step back, shoving my hands back into the pocket of my hoodie. "I think we should head back."

He sighed. "Whatever you want."

I nodded. We started back to the Chases' in silence. I stared at the ground, at war with what I wanted and what I needed. Percy couldn't be both.

"So I was thinking," he said after a few moments.

I glanced at him warily. "About what?"

"We should do something. Together. Outside of the camp and not just walking around." He stared straight ahead. "We should go out to dinner or a concert."

My stupid heart started jumping again. "Are you asking me out?"

He laughed under his breath. "That's what it sounds like. Yeah, I am."

The trees were starting to thin out. The Chases' house came into view. "You don't want to take me out on a date."

"Why do you keep telling me what I don't want?" Curiosity colored his tone.

"Because you can't," I told him. "You can't want any of this with me, not really. Maybe with Zoë—"

"I don't want Zoë." His features hardened as he stopped, facing me. "If I wanted her, I'd be with her. But I'm not. She's not who I want."

"Neither am I."

Percy shook his head in disbelief. "You have got to stop assuming you know what I want."

I started walking again. "It's just the challenge and the connection, Percy. Whatever you feel for me isn't real."

"That's ridiculous," he spat.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know." Percy appeared in front of me, eyes narrowed. He thumped his hand off his chest, directly above his heart. "Because I know what I feel in here. And I'm not the type of person to run from anything, no matter how hard it is. I'd rather face-plant against a brick wall than live for the rest of my life wondering what could've been. And you know what? I didn't think you were the type to run, either. Maybe I was wrong."

Stunned, I pulled my hands out and brushed my hair back. Knots formed in my stomach—the good, warm, and twisty kind. "I don't run."

"You don't? Because that's what you're doing," he argued. "You pretend what you feel for me isn't real or doesn't exist. And I know damn well you feel something for me."

"Percy, I'm not doing with you right now." Walking around him, I headed for the front door. I noticed Dr. Chase's yellow Volkswagen in the driveway. He was back. "I don't want to talk—"

The front door swung open and the two other demigods stepped out. Lee was carrying our duffels and Zoë waved a set of keys in front of us. "It is almost eight. We need to get going."

I nodded and followed her to the Volkswagen while the boys put the duffels in the trunk. I waved to Annabeth's dad who stood in the doorway, waving.

I climbed into the passenger seat while Zoë started the car and the boys got in the back. Less than minute letter, we were on our way to the mountain of despair.

* * *

 **A/N-I'm not going to lie, I started writing the chapter on saturday and thought I was going to have enough time to get it up by then. My bad for trying to be slick. I hope you guys had a good weekend, my sister graduated from high school today. Which makes me a senior, which is pretty cool. I'm excited and nervous. Alot of people told me junior year was going to be shit but it's actually been my best year of highschool so far. All I really did was take the ACT, SAT, and one more AP exam than I did compared to my sophomore year. I'm not dying but we'll see. Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N- Second to last chapter! Yay! This chapter is rather long so just keep that in mind. Have fun reading!**

* * *

 **"Concentrate, the mist is strong here."** Zoë warned as we got out of the car.

As I shut the passenger door, I looked around for Percy. "Percy?" I whispered, trying to look for him through the fog.

"Right here." His hand grazed my shoulder and I looked him over. He seemed fine. Not going full-blown titan.

"Are you doing okay?" I ask him.

"Fine, actually." He cocked his head. "I'm not feeling evil-ly. I can feel the mountain's pull but its more geographic than anything."

"Good." Zoë passed us, heading up the mountain. "That will be useful after we pass the garden."

Lee followed the lieutenant but before Percy and I could even move, lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. I instinctively transformed my bracelet into shield and raised it to protect Percy and me from flying shrapnel. I heard a sound like metal rain, and when I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by wreckage. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the mountain. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the ground.

 _"One shall perish by a parent's hand,"_ I muttered. My dad was paranoid about the great prophecy but I never thought he'd kill me to prevent me from turning sixteen. "Curse him. He would destroy me? _Me?_ "

"Thalia, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way." Percy shook his head.

"Whose, then?" I demanded. I started to shake, getting angrier.

"The mist." Lee answered. "Kronos or another titan manipulated the mist to seem like it was one of your dad's bolt."

"You better be right." I growled, lowering my shield and joining Zoë.

Once the boys caught up to us, Zoë stopped and pointed a dirt road. The grass around it was thicker. The sunset made a bloodred slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers.

If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples, a rich gold-much like Percy's eyes. As soon as I smelled their fragrance, I knew that one bite would be the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted.

"The apples of immortality," Lee said. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."

I wanted to step right up and pluck one, except for the dragon coiled around the tree.

Except, it wasn't quite a dragon. It had a serpent's body which was thick, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie, and echo-y singing, like voices from the bottom of a well.

Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoë. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. Four Zoë look-alikes.

"Sisters," Zoë said, voice flat.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see three half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." Percy shook his head. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied him. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus Jackson," one of them said.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he is a threat."

"Who said I was a threat?" He demanded.

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."

She pointed at me.

"Tempting sometimes," I admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," Lee said.

"And Artemis," Zoë said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoë insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoë said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoë did the last thing I expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoë, "Have you lost your mind?"

"You never had any courage, sister," The lieutenant retorted. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoë took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoë, don't," Percy warned, his extraordinary eyes in anguish. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoë said, ignoring him. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Zoë, please." Percy begged. "Don't do this. We'll find another way."

"It is the only way," she said, voice breaking. "In one hour, it shall be the twenty-first. We must get Artemis back to Olympus and retrieve your friend. The four of us are no match for Ladon."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid. It made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end.

I took Percy's hand and led him away, toward the left. Lee went right. Zoë walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoë cooed. "Zoë has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows.

The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoë continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

Lee, Percy, and I were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.

We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoë got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoë.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.

Percy drew Riptide to help.

I squeezed his hand, desperate. "We can't."

"No!" Zoë panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoë cried out. I uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoë sprinted past us up the mountain, and we followed.

The dragon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but I guess he was well trained to guard that tree. He wasn't going to be lured off, even by the tasty prospect of eating some demigods.

We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us. The music didn't sound so beautiful to me now—more like the sound track for a funeral.

* * *

At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys." Percy whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoë confirmed. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" I asked.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoë said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," I noticed. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying . . . in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces."

Percy's eyes flashed to Zoë's side but he said nothing. Held my hand tighter.

"But . . . how is it here?" Lee questioned.

I sucked in a sharp breath. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on _this_ mountain, is not good."

"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoë expanded on my statement. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."

We had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of us, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silver dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

"My lady!" Zoë rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.

Zoë was crying. My heart shattered for her. She didn't deserve this. Her sisters had just shunned her and the only family she had was in pain. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how touching."

We turned. A massive man with eyes so gray they resembled stones, was standing there in a brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing a golden sarcophagus. I gulped. I had seen that sarcophagus in my dreams before-it held the remains of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

"Luke," I snarled, nose flaring. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

The man with gray eyes chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoë. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," I said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at me. "Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoë," I raised my spear, jaw clenched. I let go of Percy's hand and stepped forward. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "Step aside, daughter of Zeus. Today, my daughter will die along with the rest of you."

I gasped, seeing the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil. He was all the things I'd originally disliked about Zoë, with none of the good I'd come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell me something. She motioned her head toward Luke. But all I could do was stare at her. I hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Percy muttered, as if he'd read my mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Lee's breath was ragged, in pain at the sight of Annabeth. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached us, studying Percy and me. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," I challenged. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

I glared at my former friend, anger sweeping through me.

Atlas circled Percy, blocking me from him. Percy maintained eye contact with the titan, his eyes an intense, rich gold.

"Do you know how many people envy you, Jackson?" Atlas asked, facing the demigod.

Percy pulled his signature, jack-ass grin. "Many people, I know. I am just blessed with so much talent-my good looks, my wit, my unfailing ability to detect bullshit from a mile away-the list goes on."

Atlas chuckled. "You are the son of the titan Lord." He sounded awed, as if that was a great thing. "Your father is offering you so much power-it's astounding! All you have to do is join him and the world will bow at your feet. You two would be..." Atlas's eyes sparked and he looked like a mad man. "You two would be unstoppable."

"Sounds great," Percy said sarcastically and strolled over to the sarcophagus, the dracaenae clutched the coffin tighter but allowed Percy to rest a hand on it. He knocked on it twice. "Hear that, pops? We should set a date for world domination; it'd be the perfect father-son bonding date. I'm available between the time of hell no and never gonna happen. Sound good?"

"You are a fool, Percy Jackson." Atlas snarled, infuriated. "But it is no matter. Luke here will soon take your place, it is only a matter of time."

My head snapped towards Luke. "Your body will be used to host Kronos'?"

"I won't have to if you join me." Luke said, his forehead clammy. He looked sick and weary. "Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

"Luke, I-I can't." My voice wavered.

"If you join me," His voice was softer now, "it can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree . . ."

His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use my body if you don't agree. Please."

I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in his voice sounded real enough. I believed that Luke was in danger.

"Don't bring her into your mess, Luke." Percy snapped, voice cold. "She can't save you and I'm sure as hell not going to. You have no one to blame except yourself."

"You p-promised to help me-"

"Deal's off. I'm done." Percy shook his head. "I'll find another way to fix the whole impending evil thing. A way that doesn't involve you."

"Percy, don't." Luke's voice was urgent and he didn't seemed worried for himself, rather, he was worried for Percy. "You need my help."

The son of Kronos and Poseidon responded by drawing his sword.

"Well then." Luke waved his hand and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame.

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, I saw images in the mist all around us: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around us, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and my heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain was an army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even begin to name. Hundreds of monsters. And they were marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, I hesitated. I wanted to believe him, desperately. But the person standing in front of me wasn't my friend. He was traitor. He hurt me and I wasn't going to let him hurt anyone else. Not anymore. I pointed my spear at him. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me . . . Don't make _him_ destroy you."

There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, we would be overwhelmed. I met Annabeth's eyes again. She nodded.

"Now!" I yelled.

Together, we charged.

I went straight for Luke. Frightened by my shield, the dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Aegis, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

I slashed at his side, aiming to wound. He, however didn't share the same intent. He slashed widly, almost grazing my throat. Oh, now it was personal.

I round-house kicked him and wheeled around to help my friends.

Lee was getting Annabeth out of her chains.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Gung-ho!" The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

"That's . . . my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

Meanwhile, Artemis had managed to get free and was now kicking Atlas butt but within an instant, something went wrong and Zoë cried out, clutching her side. Atlas pulled out a rusty knife from her as she crumbled to the ground. I started forward but something stopped me in my tracks.

Percy.

He was holding the sky. Unbridled anguish and torment contorted his face. Every bone in his body seemed to be bent in an odd fashion, the weight bearing down.

 _The Titan's curse must one withstand._ I understood now.

I tore my eyes away as Luke shifted, getting back up. He launched another counterattack and I pressed him back with the aura of my shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

"Yield!" I yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "We'll see, old friend."

I took one quick glance back and released a breath. Atlas was back under the sky. Lee and Percy were nowhere in sight. Annabeth and Artemis had gone over to help Zoë.

I slashed at his chest, causing him to fall on his knees. His head fell forward as he tried to get up. He was almost standing to his full height as Lee darted behind him, in my line vision. Bow and arrow in hand, ready to back me up. I held a hand to stop him. This was my fight. A curtain of tears veiled my eyes and I realized what I had to do.

I had to kill Luke. I couldn't let him ruin my life or the ones I loved anymore. I had enough.

I backed up, pointing my spear at his chest. His head snapped up just as I pulled back my spear. This is for Annabeth. This is for Percy. I need to keep them safe.

"Thalia, don't!" He pleaded, fear evident.

My body was shaking. I closed my eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

Then I plunged my spear into his chest.

Screaming and chaos followed.

"Thalia!" Luke's voice was a faint cry but it was tormented nonetheless. I stilled-the voice wasn't Luke.

"What have you done?" Percy's voice was broken, choked up.

"W-What do you mean?" I hear the body crumble to the ground. I open my eyes and the world stops spinning.

Luke was nowhere in sight. I look at my weapon, tainted with crimson then at the body.

Lee.

My chest is constricted and I can't breathe.

 _And another through a friend's hand._

My hand. I'm gulping for air.

"No, Thalia, don't. It's not your fault. He thought Luke was going to attack you again so he lunged for him just as you..." Percy trailed off, pulling me towards him.

"No." I whisper, fighting him as I watch Lee's glassy eyes. "No."

I hear another tormented cry.

Annabeth's, I recognize and my heart skips a beat.

Then it stops. I dare look over and find her in mid-run, mouth open. Frozen in time.

I try to look at Percy but I can't, my body won't move but eyes can. Percy steps in my line of vision, eyes burning bright. He bends over Lee's crumpled body and pulls out my spear, running it through the grass to wipe the blood off.

His expression is blank as he takes my hand and closes it around my spear.

No.

I watch in horror as he uncaps Riptide and places it in Lee's chest-where I had stabbed him.

Tears are pouring out of my eyes now and I want to scream and tell him to stop but I can't. He turns around again and slides his hands around my waist.

I'm pleading with my eyes but he won't look into them. My heart is shattering as he lifts me and sets me to where he was previously standing.

No.

His hands fall back to his sides and he places himself in my previous spot.

No.

Time resumes.

The moment Annabeth's heart broke open, I felt it in my chest.

Her eyes were wide as she knelt down, holding Lee's lifeless body. She kept saying the same word over and over again.

No.

Tears streamed down her face as she raised her hands, like she wanted to fend off reality, hold it back. Then she doubled over, folding her arms around her midsection.

She stared at Riptide and I shattered.

"Percy, why?" Her voice was hoarse.

"It was an accident." Percy's voice was flat, disembodied.

Throwing back her head, she screamed, and that sound was full of sorrow and heartbreak.

It started as a low tremble under my feet and then increased. Her body began trembling violently and I wanted to tell her the truth, but my throat had closed.

I heard the Sopwith land and Dr. Chase ran over to his daughter.

He dropped to her side, folding his arms around her and gathering her close. Her entire body shook as he sat back, pulling her into his lap, thrusting a hand into her hair, pressing her face against his chest. It did nothing to muffle the powerful sobs racking her entire body.

"I'm here, Annabeth." He said in a soothing voice. "You'll be okay. I'm here."

There was no sign that she heard him, her chest rising and falling sharply, her pulse pounding way too fast. She curled into herself, her cries ragged and broken-sounding, tearing me up.

Percy moved towards them but Dr. Chase's cold voice sliced through the air, "I think you done more than enough damage here, Percy. I'll take her home."

The son of Kronos and Poseidon gazed at his best friend sadly before nodding. He turned to me and took my hand, wrenching my gaze away from the heart broken daughter of Athena.

"What did you just do?" My voice shook.

"I couldn't let you blame yourself for Lee's death." He answered, avoiding my gaze.

"You can't do that."

"It's done." He looked at me, jaw set. "I told you: I don't differentiate from good and evil. Sometimes, I have to do the evil act for the right intention. And for you, I'd do it a million times over."

"You've lost a valuable friendship with a good maiden for her." Artemis' voice carried through the wind. "I hope she was worth it."

"She is." Percy didn't miss a beat. He climbed over some rocks and helped me over.

I gasped at the sight.

The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Annabeth's. Zoë lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still . . .

"The wound is poisoned," Artemis explained.

"Atlas poisoned her?" I asked.

"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."

She showed us the wound in Zoë's side. I'd almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bite was much worse than Zoë had let on. I could barely look at the wound. She had charged into battle against her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength.

"The stars," Zoë murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Come. We must get Zoë away from this place." The goddess nodded to a silver chariot that was ascending, a beautiful deer at the head. "Get in."

* * *

We landed at Crissy Field after nightfall. We wrapped Zoë in a blanket, the three of us by her side.

Zoë was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hovered around her was fading.

"Can't you heal her with magic?" I asked Artemis. "I mean . . . you're a goddess."

Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Thalia. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."

She tried to set her hand on Zoë's side, but Zoë gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them.

"Have I . . . served thee well?" Zoë whispered.

"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."

Zoë's face relaxed. "Rest. At last."

"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."

But in that moment, I knew it wasn't just the poison that was killing her. It was her father's final blow. Zoë had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway.

Zoë grasped my hand.

"I am sorry we argued," Zoë said. "We could have been sisters."

"It's my fault," A stray tear fell onto my cheek. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."

"Perhaps not all men," Zoë murmured. She smiled weakly at Percy. "And what am I going to do with you, Percy Jackson?"

"Get better and kick my ass, I hope." Percy held her hand, trying to smile.

"Though I'd love to, I'm sure thy ass will be sufficiently kicked in the future by others." Zoë raised a shaky a hand and rested it on Percy's cheek. "Thank you for showing me that there are good men out there, Percy. You are nothing like...like Hercules. I wish the best for thee, you truly deserve it."

"Permission to rest, my Lord?" She smiled.

"Permission granted, Zoë."

She lowered her hand and a shudder ran through her body.

"Zoë—" I said.

"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."

A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."

"Stars." Zoë repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.

Percy lowered his head. I watched as Artemis cupped her hand above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoë's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoë's body shimmered and disappeared.

Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.

For a moment I didn't see anything different. Then Percy gasped. Looking up in the sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky.

"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."

In the north, thunder and lightning were still boiling over Mount Tamalpais. Artemis was so upset she flickered with silver light. This made me nervous, because if she suddenly lost control and appeared in her fully divine form, we would disintegrate by looking at her.

"I must go to Olympus immediately," Artemis said. "I will not be able to take you, but I will send help."

The goddess set her hand on my shoulder. "You are brave beyond measure, my girl. Take courage, the road ahead of you is dangerous."

She turned to Percy, staring at him quizzically. "Your passion for her is going to burn the world down one day."

The corner of his lips tipped up. "Smore's for everyone, then."

I could've sworn Artemis smiled but I wasn't sure because I averted my eyes as she mounted her chariot and disappeared in a flash of silver.

Then I heard the whoosh of large wings. Two pegasi descended through the fog: one white winged horses and one pure black one.

Percy smiled at the black one and I could tell he was communicating with them. He chuckled once then turned to me.

"They're our ride to Olympus," he explained and the pegasi began to trot away. "They're taking a water break but we should be on the way to New York in ten minutes."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I didn't know where I was going but my feet led me away from the field. Percy walked beside me.

I could barely breathe. "Percy—" I took in a shuttered breath. "I am so sorry about everything. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Lee didn't get hurt. He died, Thalia."

A lump formed in my throat as I turned to him. His eyes glittered. "I… If I could go back, I'd change everything."

Percy shook his head as his gaze dropped to his open hands. He curled them into fists. "It's too late now." Helplessness cracked his voice. "I could've prevented this."

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have pushed you that day in the car-telling you that you may have to kill Luke. I would've done it in a heartbeat but I never wanted you to make that choice. I was angry that you were defending him. I didn't mean it."

Tears built in my eyes. How could I still cry or think it would make any of this better? "I just wanted him to stop hurting me. To stop hurting you."

He lifted his eyes, and they pierced straight through me.

"You should've never been worried about me getting hurt." He ran both hands through his hair. "You know I can take care of myself. You know I can handle my own."

"I know," I said. "You're always fighting Luke and the entire world. I can't eliminate all your enemies but I wanted to get rid of one. I didn't want you at risk. You mean too much to me."

His head swung toward me, eyes suddenly sharp. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"I…" I shook my head. "It doesn't matter now."

"The hell it doesn't!" he said. "You almost got both of us killed, and none of this is over. Who knows how much time any of us have before Luke shows up again? He's still out there and he's going to come back in full force."

I said nothing.

Percy swore. "I need to know, Thalia because I just ruined one of the few relationships I had. Do I mean something to you?"

Heated blood crept across my face. Why was he making me do this? How I felt didn't matter now. "Percy…"

"Answer me!"

"Fine!" I threw my hands up in the air. "Yes, you mean something to me. What you did for me on Thanksgiving and the Christmas tree—that made me…" My voice cracked. "That made me happy. You made me happy. And I still care about you. Okay? You mean something to me—something I can't really even put into words because everything seems too lame in comparison. I've always wanted you, even when I hated you. I want you even though you drive me freaking insane. And I know I screwed everything up. Not just for you and me, but for Annabeth."

My breath caught on a sob. The words rushed from me, one after another. "And I never felt this way with anyone else. Like I'm falling every time I'm around you, like I can't catch my breath, and I feel alive—not just standing around and letting my life walk past me. There's been nothing like that with anyone else. I don't think there ever will be anyone else." Tears pricked my eyes as I stepped back. My chest was swelling so fast it hurt. "But none of this matters, because I know you really hate me now. I understand that. I just wish I could go back and change everything! I—"

Percy was suddenly in front of me, clasping my cheeks in his warm hands. "I never hated you."

I blinked back the wetness gathering in my eyes. "But—"

"I don't hate you now, Thalia." He stared intently into my eyes. "I'm mad at you—at myself. I'm so angry, I can taste it. I want to find Luke and rearrange parts of his body. But do you know what I've been thinking about all day? The one single thought I couldn't escape, no matter how pissed off I am at you?"

"No." I whispered.

"That I'm lucky, because the person I can't get out of my head, the person who means more to me than I can stand, is still alive. She's still there. And that's you."

A tear trailed down my cheek. Hope spread through me so fast it left me dizzy and breathless. The feeling was like taking a step off the edge of a cliff without seeing how far the fall would be. Dangerous. Exhilarating. "What…what does that mean?"

"I really don't know." His thumb chased after a tear on my cheek as he smiled slightly. "I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, what a year from now is going to be like. Hell, we may end up killing each other over something stupid next week. It's a possibility. But all I do know is what I feel for you isn't going anywhere."

Hearing that only made me cry harder. He bent his head, kissing the tears away until he caught each of them with his breath. Then his lips found mine and the room fell away. The whole world disappeared for those precious moments. I wanted to throw myself into the kiss, but I couldn't. I pulled away, dragging in air.

"How can you still want me?" I said.

Percy pressed his forehead against mine. "Oh, I still want to strangle you. But I'm insane. You're crazy. Maybe that's why. We just make crazy together."

"That makes no sense."

"It kind of does, to me at least." He kissed me again. "It might have to do with the fact you finally admitted you're deeply and irrevocably in love with me."

I let out a weak, shaky laugh. "I so did not admit that."

"Not in so many words, but we both know it's true. And I'm okay with it."

"You are?" I closed my eyes, breathing in what felt like the first real breath in months. Maybe years. "It's the same for you?"

His answer was to kiss me…and to kiss me again. When he finally lifted his head, I was in his arms. I had no recollection of moving. That was how good his kisses were. I had to wait until my heart slowed down. "This doesn't change anything I've done. All of this is still my fault."

"It's not all your fault. It's all of ours. And we're in this together. We'll face whatever is waiting for us together."

My heart did a wild dance at those words. "Us?"

"If there is anything, there is us."

* * *

We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. I'd never been to Olympus before and it floored me.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from blood red to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Our pegasi set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

I felt a sense of impending anxiety. My dad was in there. My dad who I'd never met before but preserved my life when I needed him the most. The other gods were in there as well. I'd never seen all the gods together. I knew any one of them could blast me to dust and my birthday was tomorrow so I'm sure many of them were polishing their weapons now.

The pegasi flew off, leaving Percy and me alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoë the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and I'm telling you, if you've ever had a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on you at once . . . Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when I noticed Bessie and Grover.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw us, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run toward Percy, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at me and I stared back. I looked exactly like him-electric blue eyes and dark hair. I felt a sense of familiarity wash over me and though for years I'd felt that meeting my dad would be strange, I felt comfortable. I finally had a face to put to a name I had heard so much about.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

I looked around and my eyes landed on Poseidon, Percy's dad. He sported beach shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep green eyes. Percy looked exactly like him, minus the gold eyes and beard, of course.

Grover gave Percy and me big hugs. Then he grasped Percy's arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" I asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship _Princess Andromeda_ and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes . . ."

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera. I shuddered. I knew to avoid her at all costs.

On Zeus's right, Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes was checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had headphones in, so I wasn't sure he was even listening, but he gave me a thumbs-up. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at Percy while he sharpened a knife.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at me knowingly and wagged a finger between Percy and me, making a heart symbol. I blushed.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in this room it was a miracle the whole palace didn't blow apart.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: _"Heroes win laurels—"_

Ares looked at us. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

I blushed again.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods . . . such as Thalia and Percy . . . are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me _sis_!"

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

A lot of nodding heads.

Percy held his hand up. "Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?"

"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.

His father frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"Dad," He said, "he's just a sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," He insisted. He looked at my father in the eye-a bold move even for Percy. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess— the Ophiotaurus is innocent. It's wrong."

My father seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to me. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"She will make the right the decision. Just trust her." Percy sounded so sure of himself, I had to take a step back to understand that he was referring to me. "Trust her like I do. I trust her with my life."

Aphrodite squealed and leaned over to Demeter, whispering. "Did you hear him? He said he trusts her with his life-isn't that cute?"

"As a button." Demeter manifested some cereal and took a hearty bite.

"Trust a hero?" My father repeated.

"The girl is already loyal, she has proven so on the quest to retrieve Artemis. She will turn sixteen tomorrow and save Olympus." The goddess of wisdom turned her gaze to the son of Kronos and Poseidon. "He, however, concerns me."

"Oh, Athena, let it go." Poseidon sounded exasperated. "Whatever your quarrel is it is with me-leave my son out of it."

"But he is not only your son-he is Kronos' as well." Athena pointed out.

Percy rolled his eyes and nudged me, a small smile on his face. "Here we go again."

I couldn't smile back. I couldn't breathe. They were going to kill Percy.

My father rose a hand to silence the bickering and his gaze floated over to me. I pleaded with my eyes, hoping he'd understand.

He looked at me sadly-as if to say that he had no choice-then shifted his attention to the boy beside me.

"It is true that most of us in here are offspring of the titan Lord, Kronos. But there is one difference between us and you, Perseus: we were not made with the intention to destroy." My father looked around the throne room, his voice booming. "He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature."

"I concur," Athena agreed. "Thalia has returned and so we have the child of the prophecy. We have no use to stay on friendly terms with him any longer. We should execute him regardless-just in case something happens to Thalia between now and tomorrow. All in favor of executing Percy Jackson?"

"No!" Aphrodite wailed. "Perlia is my OTP, we can't break them up. I forbid it. All against executing Percy?"

"You really have gotten rash over the years, Athena." Poseidon commented, raising his hand. "I must say, it's not a flattering look."

The goddess threw a distateful look at the sea god.

Mr. D raised his hand and Percy looked shocked. "Mr. D? You want to keep me alive?"

"Not at all, Perry. I just enjoy making Athena mad."

"Off with his head!" Ares growled.

"No!" Someone yelled. Everyone's head snapped toward me and I realized that I had said. Oops.

I took a step forward, unsure of what I was going to say. All I knew was that I had to save Percy. He had already sacrificed so much for me already and if I managed to pull this off, it wouldn't even begin to cover the amount of debt I owed him.

My brain kicked into high gear and I looked around the room, my eyes landing on Bessie. I knew what I had to do-pull a Percy and talk out of my ass.

"As Athena just pointed out-I am the determining factor of whether Olympus will fall to the titans. I can sacrifice the Ophiotaurus and use it against the gods. If you all decide to execute Percy, I will interpret it as an act of war and will use the Ophiotaurus to destroy you. Think wisely and do not take this lightly-this is a threat and I am not someone you want to make an enemy of."

When I finished my sentence, I looked at my dad; expecting him to blast me to pieces. He looked fiercely proud and conflicted at the same time.

"Two children of the Big Three against us, plus a prophecy on their side." Apollo took his earbuds out and looked at the other gods. "No bueno. We shouldn't kill him."

"That's what I've been saying..." Poseidon leaned back in his throne, worry fading away from his features.

"She has a point, Father." Athena's eyes pierced mine before she turned to my dad. "It would not be wise to kill him."

"Very well, daughter." My dad's eyes sparked. "The council has decided to spare you, Percy Jackson."

"Oh wow, lucky me." Percy murmured sarcastically.

My dad raised an eyebrow and I returned to stand next to Percy.

"Shut up, Percy. I just saved your life-don't ruin it." I said through clenched teeth.

"You did, didn't you?" His eyes were a rich gold and he was staring at me like I just brought him back to life.

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis announced.

"Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him." Percy was begging them.

His father stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I _can_ help it."

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" My father stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

My dad's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. I vouch for this on my honor."

My dad thought about this. "All in favor?"

To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained. So did Ares and Athena. But everybody else...

"We have a majority," The lord of the skies decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes...I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

* * *

There are parties, and then there are huge, major, blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties. If you ever get a choice, go for the Olympian.

The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted it to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up. Needless to say, I heard all of Green Day's album.

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for the first time. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted. Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

Gods kept coming over to congratulate me. Thankfully, they had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample partygoers under their feet.

Apollo told me I could drive his sun chariot any time and I shook my head furiously.

"Thanks," I told him. "But seriously, I think I'm good after that last stunt."

"Ah, nonsense," he said. "Just need a wee bit of training!"

I made some excuses and wove through the crowds that were dancing in the palace courtyards. I was looking for Percy. I had lost him in the crowd and I last saw him dancing with Aphrodite.

Then a man's voice behind me said, "I hope you realize the risk you took for him today."

I turned around to face my father, bracing myself for criticism. "I know."

"It was brave and foolish," he continued then a small smile graced his features. "It reminds of something I'd do. Nonetheless, I am glad to see you revived, Thalia. You will do great things, I'm sure. I'm just not sure if your infatuation the sea spawn is one of those great things."

I blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Daughter, you just threatened to annihilate centuries-old immortals for him. It's so obvious it stinks."

Way to be blunt, Dad. "Well, I'm with him. For better or for worse."

He looked at me dead in the eye, all the previous humor erased. "It will likely be for worse."

"I knew that the day I met him." I looked at him, voice steady. "And I'm ready for the worse, as long as he is by my side."

"Just like your father-stubborn." He mussed my hair. "We're already in that teenage angst stage, Thalia. Good luck in your endeavors, my daughter."

"Thank you, dad." I smoothed out my hair and watched as he walked away.

I was about to keep searching the crowd when another voice spoke. "You've had quite the day today, Thalia."

I found myself face-to-face with a gray-eyed woman who looked so much like Annabeth I almost called her that.

"Athena." I tried not to sound resentful, especially after the way she went rambo on executing Percy, but I guess I didn't hide it very well.

She smiled dryly. "Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. He is dangerous."

"You don't know him." I said boldly, wondering where the hell all this courage was the past week.

"Perhaps. But neither do you," She had a mysterious glint in her eyes and for a second there, I believed her. "I concede the point. His fatal flaw is passion and you happen to be the object of his affection and therefore, the one he is the most passionate for. You've seen what he's done for you today-my daughter is heartbroken."

I looked down, ashamed. "Lady Athena, I-

Athena looked almost sorry for me. "That issue will be resolved in due time-it will take a while knowing my child. Percy is smart-he knows Annabeth will replay the scene and the evidence he has planted seems to incriminate himself. Even if you tell her the truth, she won't believe you-accident or not, Percy isn't below killing. And he has a deadly accurate aim."

"I just need to explain to her that I was aiming for Luke-"

"And she'll believe that you intended to kill one of your best friends-former or otherwise? You three were on the run together; you shared everything with Luke. She won't believe you and she'll think that you're trying to remove the blame from Percy." The goddess smiled sadly. "The only person who can change her mind is Percy and I doubt she'll speak to him anytime soon. Regardless, he won't allow her to hate you. He won't ever say a word because of his overwhelming passion."

I wanted to argue, but I found I couldn't. Athena was pretty darn smart.

"Just watch out for yourself, Thalia." Athena turned on her heels and was face-to-face with the devil himself.

"Percy Jackson." She said, voice steady.

"Lady Athena." His voice was smooth. The goddess brushed past him and strode through the crowds, which parted before her as if she were carrying Aegis.

"Was she giving you a hard time?" He asked me.

"No," I replied. "It's . . . fine."

I reached over and touched the new streak of gray in his hair— a painful souvenir from holding Atlas's burden.

"What you did out there for me..." Percy's voice was a whisper and he looked at me in awe. "That was amazing."

"It pales in comparison to what you've done for me." I said. "Percy, I'm going to tell Annabeth the truth and I need you to back me up. Don't try to cover up for me-this isn't your burden to bear."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sweetheart." He shrugged nonchantly. "Any more requests?"

"Yeah, stop being a dick."

He grinned, slipping his arms around my waist and guiding my head to his shoulder. "You're asking for the impossible today, Sweetheart. Just because you high-key threatened some immortals today doesn't mean you're ready to go all balls to the wall. You have to earn the title of bad ass."

"Shut up and dance with me." I smiled and placed my arms on his shoulders.

Percy was silent and although I didn't know what song was playing for him, mine was a slow, moving ballad about two lovers. We were still dancing as the guest started to leave and I let my head linger in the crook of his neck just a little longer. I wanted us to stay like this. Forever.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked me.

"The future. Us." I admitted, my tone bleak. "Shit's going to hit the fan when I turn sixteen tomorrow. I just want this to last a while longer."

"It will." Percy told me. "I'm taking you on a date tomorrow."

I pulled away to face him. "No way. Where?"

"Just a little a concert and dinner, nothing special."

"I don't know any band that's in town..." I trailed off, trying to think if there were any.

Percy's grin was blinding. "Try bands."

My eyes widened and I placed my hands on his chest, smiling and jumping like a demented seal. "How the edge stole Christmas?!"

"We're about to find how they stole the beloved holiday." He confirmed. He pulled two tickets from his pocket. "VIP backstage passes too, courtesy of Lord Apollo. It was a thank you for helping you not crash his chariot and all."

I flushed, remembering that little mishap on our way to back to camp from Westover Hall. "Percy, I don't know what to say."

"Just promise me one thing," he put the tickets away and clasped my hands, peering into my soul. "Just promise we're going to have a good time-I want to you leave all this half-blood stuff at camp and enjoy our date. Can you do that for me?"

I smiled. "You're asking for the impossible, Percy Jackson." I looked at our intertwined hands, wondering how the hell this even happened. "But I think I can make an exception for you."

"That's all I'm asking for."

"Tomorrow sounds perfect..." My voice breaks. "If it wasn't my doomsday birthday."

Percy squared his shoulders, his jaw set. "You won't have to worry about that either. I'll take care of it."

* * *

 **A/N-Okay, Percy, whatever you say. So alot of stuff happened in this chapter-Zoë is dead, which we all expected. Lee is dead, so he's the one who was killed by a friend's (Thalia) hand. So Annabeth's going to be a little off the rails in the next book, hence expect some OOC-ness. Luke ran off into the sunset. The winter solstice meeting was interesting, Thalia getting ballsy. I borrowed some lines from the book btw, disclaimer's on my profile. It turns out Luke was the one IM-ing Percy at the beginning of this fic and Thalia will eventually put the pieces together and question that. Perlia is officially a couple, which will be confirmed in the next (and final) chapter. I'm not trying to blindside y'all anymore. Apart from the new love interest which is purely to provide drama not intending to break them up. Also Percy's fatal flaw is passion-I found it more fitting than loyalty, but the same gist. It won't turn into obsession tho (It's not that kind of party) I'm not about that life.**

 **Like for example, if Thals was like yo, I'm not into you anymore. Percy would be sad but respects her wishes because he loves her and wants her to be happy despite the cost. He's not going to stalk her. Anywho, next chapter will include a concert/dinner date and I didn't forget about the bet by Christmas thing-that'll be in there. There will be a counselor meeting about the prophecy (You know at beginning of the Last Olympian, Percy reads the prophecy) same thing here but Thalia will be reading it. I know that in canon, Percy makes the decision to save Olympus the morning of his sixteenth birthday but the prophecy is going to be tweaked for my purposes. Also Sally may come back at the end of the chapter so watch out for that, just in case I'm feeling generous. Almost sixteen years in hell is pretty excessive. I'm sorry for the long A/N, I just like to ramble.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N- Final chapter, guys! It feels like I just started this yesterday, honestly. Wow. Anyway, last chapter was...intense so we're going to slightly dial it down. And when I say dial it down, I mean turn it the hell up! Nah, I'm just kidding but the last sentence of the last chapter was kind like oooh, what's Percy going to do now and what he does will be revealed in this chapter. Um, I'm going to leave the whole Annabeth thing alone because I don't feel like dealing with it now. I'm a pro, I know. We'll deal with Nico and go on our date then! Let's go!**

* * *

 **When the party on Olympus ended, Percy, Grover, and I got in a cab and jetted back to camp.**

At the top of half-blood hill, Nico di Angelo was tinkering around with one of his mythomagic cards, looking somber.

I took a deep breath and walked up to him, begging my hands to stop shaking. "Nico, I've got some bad news-you may want to sit down."

"I know." His eyes were watery but I think he was trying to be strong. "I know about Bianca."

I gasp, stumbling backwards. "W-what? How?"

"I felt it-she's being judged right now, in the fields of Asphodel." Nico sighed, wiping away tear. "I know you had nothing to do with her death-she sacrificed herself. She appeared to me as a ghost and told me. I-I just wish-"

His voice cracked and my heart was bleeding. He was just a kid and now he's by himself. What he was saying didn't make any sense, that is unless...

"Nico, I think you're a child of Hades." I whispered, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the figurine Bianca had told me to give to her brother. I turned it over.

Hades.

"That's ironic," Nico took the figure gingerly, holding it to his heart. "It was the only figurine I didn't have. I can't believe she's gone..."

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around the boy, pulling him close. I didn't know what else to do. "Nico, I'm so _so_ sorry. It should've been me-I know it should've been. I promised you I would protect her and I failed."

"Hey it's okay," Nico pulled away and tried to form a small smile. "I guess I forgot to tell you Bianca does whatever she wants to do. I'm glad she had a friend like you in her last moments-she wanted you to know she doesn't regret going on the quest. And I don't either-I mean, without her death, I wouldn't have know about my godly parent and I can always talk to her. It'll just be...different." Nico smiled sadly then beamed. "But that'll all change soon-I'm bringing her back to life!"

I blinked a few times. "What? No, that's impossible-even for a child of Hades."

"Well, let me rephrase that," He corrected. "Bianca's choosing rebirth so I'll find the rebirth version of her. Easy peasy, lemon squeasy."

I heard footsteps behind me which meant that Percy and Grover joined us. I'm not sure how much of the conversation they heard but I think they gathered a few key points here and there.

"I'm afraid Thalia's correct, kid." Percy grimaced, pitying the young demigod. "Those who choose rebirth may end up miles or even continents away from their original bodies origin. She could be a Pacific Islander in the next life-she could be an infant. She might not even be a halfblood and it's unlikely she'll remember any of this. She might not remember you."

"She's a child of Hades and my sister-she'll remember me." Nico's voice was passionate, full of the determination. He looked down for a second. "She has to."

"You'd have to leave camp to look for her and that's not the best choice considering you're a child of the big Three and by yourself." Grover pointed out.

"That's why I wanted to see you guys before I left-I came to say goodbye." Nico said. "And I'm not going to be alone-there's this guy I know who can help me. When we find Bianca, I'll be back. In the meantime, kick some serious monster ass for me, okay?"

Percy toussled the ten-year olds hair. "Hey, watch it with the bad words, kid. I might have to wash your mouth with soap."

"I'd like to see you try." Nico taunted, sticking his tongue out him.

I smiled and Percy faked a punch to his abdomen. Nico squealed, giggling.

I nodded, releasing a breath I hadn't known I was holding. Nico di Angelo was going to be alright, he'd need to heal but in the end, he'd be okay.

"Take care, Nico." Grover patted his shoulder and the boy gave him a smile.

I gave Nico one last smile. "Don't have to many sweets, you hear? I don't want to see any cavities when I see you and Bianca again."

"Yes, ma'am." The child of Hades saluted then took a step back. Around him, the shadows seemed to move and suddenly, they enveloped him. I blinked and Nico di Angelo was gone.

* * *

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

I tried to focus on anything other than the fact that I was 152,000 feet in air, trapped in a compressed metal bird.

I tried to focus on the man in the corner, rapidly speaking into his Bluetooth, making gesticulations as he does so.

I tried to focus on the latest Green Day album that was blaring through my earphones.

I felt an earbud being removed from ear. I tilted my head to the left and met a startling pair of golden eyes.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked, eyes searching mine.

"The concert-apparently my chemical romance is performing as a launch for their reunion tour." I cleared my throat, preparing myself for my Gollum impression. " _My precious Gerard Way."_

Percy raised a fist to his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. "Okay, well we're almost to Las Vegas so you will see your precious Gerard Way soon. Close your eyes-we'll be there before you know it."

"Okay." I laced my hand with his and leaned back, closing my eyes.

A brief silence passed before Percy broke it. "Wait, so do you think that Gerard Way is good looking? Better looking than me?"

I opened one eye. "Ask me that when you're in a band."

Percy's jaw clenched. "I can get a band together. It will be called...Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I'll be the front man and do that really cool screamo thing with my voice."

"That's...attractive."

The demigod smiled, genuinely proud of himself. "That's what I thought."

I chuckled then ran my thumb across his palm before closing my eyes once more.

Everything will be fine.

* * *

 _Sometimes I wonder if this is all a dream._

 _I wonder if I'm still a tree, just imagining all of this. Imagining the quest to save Artemis. Imagining the friends I made along the way: Bianca and Zoë._

 _Everything I've done felt real. Fighting monsters at every turn felt real. The constant paranoia felt real. The moments when I thought I wouldn't make it felt so real._

 _Letting Bianca sacrifice herself felt real._

 _Zoë dying right before my eyes felt real._

 _Running my spear through Lee felt real._

 _And it was real._

 _Even though I wish it weren't._

* * *

 _"_ Hey, wake up. You need to see this."

"Huh?" I sat up, slightly dazed.

"Look, up ahead. Caesar's Palace." Percy was saying, one arm wrapped around my waist.

It took my eyes a few seconds to readjust and take in my surroundings. We were in a cab, most likely nearing the Bellagio, where the concert was being held. I gasped at the sight. Palm trees lined the Vegas Strip with lights so bright they were almost as blinding as Apollo's teeth.

I pointed out well-known hotspots like Caesar's Palace and the Eiffel Tower at Paris, bouncing around excitedly. Percy laughed at me, shaking his head while smiling.

"What?" I asked him, unable to help the smile spreading across my face. "It's beautiful."

Percy's smile gradually faded and he looked into my eyes, genuine sincerity shining through. "Yeah, you are."

I nearly choked on my saliva. Graceful, I know. "Wow, you're really gunning for the brownie points today."

"All day. Every day."

The cab stopped by the entrance to the Bellagio hotel and I got out while Percy paid for the cab. I heard the door close and felt Percy standing beside me.

"Shall we?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"We shall." He took it gingerly and I took a step back to really look at him. He had changed.

Literally.

He was sporting a black blazer and slacks which fit him nicely. I hadn't seen him like this since the Winter formal at Westover Hall. I chuckled softly, shaking my head. After almost a week of continuously fighting and running for our lives every second, it was just nice to clean up and be somewhat of normal teenager.

"What?" Percy asked, raising a brow.

"Nothing. You just look nice, did you change on the plane?"

"Yeah, I did." He grinned at me. "I knew you'd give me the time of day if I cleaned up nicely."

"Artificial, but nice try." I pulled him away from the curb, toward the concert.

* * *

Don't get me wrong, Olympus is practically heaven and arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world but it had nothing on How the Edge stole Christmas.

The atmosphere was fresh and exciting, causing my blood to course through my body like a shot of pure adrenaline. Everyone, regardless of which band they liked, was there to have a good time.

And so was I.

Just as Green Day was wrapping up their set list, I pulled Percy out onto the dance floor, slipping around bodies as I searched for a spot. Finding one, I pivoted around. He watched me curiously, almost like he was saying, Are we really doing this? We were. Smiling, I stepped up to him, draped an arm around his neck, and placed my other hand on his waist.

I started to move against him, letting the music guide my movements.

It took a few seconds of stiffness to find the beat to the song and loosen up muscles that hadn't really seen any action recently, but when I did, the rhythm of the music resonated in my head and then through my body, my limbs. Swaying to the music, I whirled around and my shoulders moved with my hips. Percy's arm crept around my waist, and I felt his chin graze my neck.

Percy's arm tightened as the beat picked up and so did my movements. "I think I like this."

All around us, bodies were slick and shiny with sweat, as if they'd been dancing for years. That was the thing about places like this—you get caught up and hours go by but it only feels like long minutes.

Percy spun me back to him, and I was on the tips of my boots, facing him. His head lowered, forehead pressing against mine, our lips brushing. A rush of power went through me, transferring to him, and in the flashing lights, we were lost in this world. Our bodies surged with the beat, fitting together fluidly while others seemed to thrash beside us, never able to find the right sync.

When Percy's lips pressed more firmly against mine, I opened up, not losing the rhythm even though he was stealing my breath.

When the need for air became more apparent, Percy pulled away smiling as rested his forehead against mine. "Gods, I don't think I ever want to leave your side again."

"Then don't." I whisper. "And keep dancing."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

I laughed and by the end of the concert, I don't think I ever once stopped smiling. Just when I thought my smile couldn't get any wider, Percy took me backstage for our VIP meet and greet with some of the bands.

And before you ask-yes, Gerard Way was there. And looking fine as hell, but that's not the point.

He said he liked my Green Day shirt and I responded in a language that wasn't quite english but somewhat close to gibberish. Before I could ask him to marry me, Gerard Way was whisked away, most likely to the Black Parade.

I felt an arm snake around my waist and my blush intensified. "Great english skills there, Sweetheart. Mind giving me a lesson?"

"Shut up, Percy." I leaned into him, smiling.

"What do you say we get out of here and get some sushi, huh?" Percy's eyes glittered under the bright lights.

"Thanks gods, I'm starving." I laughed and let him lead me outside the Bellagio hotel and onto the Vegas Strip.

The nearest shushi place was less than a minute a way and the service was fast. Less than five minutes after we ordered, the food was served.

"I've never actually had shushi before," Percy commented, picking at his california rolls. "I've always felt like it was sacrilegious, you know."

"Son of Poseidon and all?" I guessed, taking a bit of my spicy tuna roll.

Percy nodded, bringing a roll up to his mouth. He took a small bite, eyes widening. "Forgive me, half Father for I have sinned. That was amazing."

I laughed then threw him a look. "Hey no half-blood stuff, remember?"

He held his hands up, surrendering. "Right, it's your birthday-no half-blood talk whatsoever. My lips are sealed."

I stilled, chopsticks clattered to my plate. "I almost forgot. It is my doomsday birthday."

I looked down, pulling my shaky hands into my lap. "I'm surprised the rapture hasn't started yet."

"Hey, no. Don't talk like that." Percy reached under the table and held my hand. His voice was soft, eyes kind. "Besides, your actual time of birth is at midnight on the dot. We've got...twenty five minutes till then."

I drew in a shaky breath. "It's so weird how you know things like that. Since your birthday is tomorrow, what time were you born?"

Percy's eyes shone. "12:05."

"That's insane." I commented, squeezing his hand.

"I know." He leaned back, flashing deep dimples.

I turned away for a brief second then looked at his side of the table. One small circular dish was wiped clean. I looked at Percy who shifting his food around in his mouth.

"Percy, what happened to your wasabi?"

"W-wasbi?" Percy's mouth was practically convulsing at this point. "I thought it was guacamole."

"Oh my adorable cinnamon roll, no. You didn't just eat all of that, did you?"

The son of Kronos and Poseidon was too busy spitting out the remainder of the substance onto a napkin to respond. After a minute he looked up, sweat emitting from his face. "We should get going."

I frowned, puzzled. We did what we came to do-go to how the Edge stole Christmas and dinner. We were supposed to get on a plane and jet our tushes back to camp.

"Where?" I asked.

* * *

I squinted at the sign above, trying to decipher it despite my dyslexia. "Lotus Hotel and Casino?" I asked.

"Huh? Yeah." Percy was fidgeting, seeming nervous.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." He answered quickly. "Let's go in-it's almost twelve."

I shrugged, looking at the door. The entrance was a massive, vibrant neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, emitting air-conditioning that smelled like flowers—lotus blossom, maybe. I'd never smelled one, so I wasn't sure.

The doorman smiled at us as we passed the threshold. Once inside, my mouth dropped.

The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about some shitty old Pac-Man games or slot machines that you find at laundromats. There was an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. There were virtual-reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.

"Am I in heaven?" I asked, my feet immediately gliding over to a guitar hero game.

Percy chuckled then motioned for me to wait. I did, staring at that game while he went over to the front desk. He came back to me and handed me a silver card.

"Platinum card, it works for any and all the games. There's no cash or anything on it so you play for as long as you want. Here's a room key," He handed me another card. "Room 4001."

"Where's your card? Aren't you staying?"

For some odd reason, Percy looked torn. "I'm so sorry for this but I can't let you take this burden. You deserve a normal life-as normal as a half blood's life can be."

"I don't understand..." I trailed off, moving towards the guitar hero game. Part of me wanted to pay attention but the other part of me really wanted to shred on that guitar.

"I'll pick you up later, Thalia." Percy pivoted around and walked out of the hotel.

I shrugged then turned around to look at a clock.

12:04 pm.

There was something important about the time but I couldn't remember. My guitar vibrated in my hands, commanding my attention.

I turned towards it and chose a killer song. The more I played, the more it felt like time had just stopped. I had no idea how long I was there but eventually I began breaking the game's records and advanced to the highest level. People began swarming around me and for a second, I noticed their outfits. One guy looked like someone straight out of Grease another one looked like he had just time traveled from the eighties.

It turns out Grease guy was a beast at the bass and eighties dude had some sick vocals. Together, we formed the Unholy Trinity and played guitar hero until we could barely stand.

"Alright, guys-I think I'm going to hit the sack." I set my guitar back on the stand and laughed when the nearby crowd sighed.

"Groovy, grasshopper Thalia." The Eighties dude gave me a peace sign before reverting his attention back to the game.

"Night, guys."

"Goodnight!" The crowd responded.

I made my way to my room, crashing on a queen sized bed. My eyes closed and I drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next morning I got up and took a shower. I changed into a camp t-shirt and shirts which I figured Percy had brought up to the room after we had arrived last night.

I wondered what had happened to him last night-he was perfectly normal at the concert and dinner, excluding the wasabi-guacomole mishap-but when we got to the hotel, he was so anxious.

Before I could further evaluate his behavior, the back of my neck felt warm. I opened the bathroom and smiled at Percy who was sitting on the bed, twirling riptide.

"Happy Birthday, Seaweed Brain." I smiled.

"Ha ha. Thank you though." Percy plastered on his trade mark smirk and all my worries ceased-he was perfectly fine and everything was normal. I was worried for nothing. "Let's get going, plane leaves in an hour."

I nodded and head towards the door, Percy behind me.

We made our way past the lobby and although Percy had to practically peel me away from darting towards the guitar hero game, we made our way to the airport.

One nerve wracking plane ride later, we made it to camp.

* * *

Three days ago. That was the last time I'd seen Percy since our date.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the type of girl to cling to a guy after one date but this was a guy who had literally taken a bullet for me-his absence didn't make sense. And the funny thing was that everyone else was used to it.

According to Grover and Chiron, Percy came and went as he pleased. He was an ally, not a camper, so he wasn't bound to stay at camp full-time. I just thought since it was Christmas day, he'd make an effort to show. But although I wanted him here, I realized I shouldn't expect anything from here. We were _dating,_ not officially in a relationship.

Presently, I was sitting on my bed, staring at the clock.

11:45. Fifteen minutes until Christmas was over.

Suddenly, the back of my neck felt warm and I nearly darted across the cabin, throwing open the door. And there he was.

A light layer of snow rested on top of his raven hair, his golden eyes searching mine.

"Merry Christmas, Sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas, Percy." I smiled, letting him in.

As he took off his coat, I noticed the roses in his hand.

"For me?" I squeak, heat creeping into my cheeks.

"No, for Grover." He threw me a look then grinned, handing me the roses. "They're um, 'I'm sorry for going MIA on you these past few days' roses.'"

I took them gingerly and set them by the window sill. "It's fine, Percy. Really. I'm just glad you're here now."

"Me too." He sat down on my bed, the mattress creaking under his weight. "Come here, child."

"Shut it, Jackson." I laughed but climbed into his lap, wrapping my arms his waist. "If you don't mind me asking, where have you been?"

"You know, everywhere. Nowhere." He maneuvered us in such a way that his head rested against the head board. "I had some assassinations to do."

"Oh." I cleared my throat. "Were you successful?"

"Yes." The corner of his lips pulled up. "We don't have to talk about this, Thalia. Not if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, no, it doesn't." I said too quickly. "Actually, I'd like to know more your life as an assassin. Have you ever killed another assassin?"

"Once or twice."

"Wow." I breathed, pulling away to see his expression. "That's like...assassin-ception."

"You like that, don't you?" He nodded, working on the buttons of my sweater, laughing softly when he came to where they were buttoned incorrectly.

I lifted my shoulders, and he helped me shrug out of the sweater.

Blood pounded as I yanked off my socks and lay back down. "I…I kind of like the sound of that."

"Kind of?" His hand was on my stomach, slipping down, moving under the hem of my shirt. "Kind of isn't good enough."

"Okay." I jerked when his fingers splayed across my skin. "I do like that."

"So do I." He lowered his head, kissing me softly. "I bet you love that."

My lips curved into a smile against his. "I do."

Making a deep sound in the back of his throat, Percy trailed kisses over my cheek that scalded my skin and lit a fire. We whispered to each other, the words slowly stitching together the aching hole in my chest. I think they were doing the same for him. I told him about my terrible childhood because of my mother's alcohol addiction. He told me about growing up in an orphanage, feeling unwanted. The truths he admitted, I kept them close to my heart.

The fear he'd felt when he saw Luke and me fighting on Mount Tam was in every slight, delicate touch of his fingers. Those precious words may not have been spoken up until then, but love was in every touch, every soft moan. I didn't need him to say it, because I was surrounded in his love for me.

Time stopped for us. The world and everything I'd been part of only existed outside my cabin door, but in here, it was only us. And for the first time, there was nothing between us. We were open, vulnerable to each other. Pieces of our clothing disappeared. His shirt. Mine. A button came undone on his jeans…and on mine, too.

"You have no idea how badly I want this." His voice was rough against my cheek. Raw. "I think I've actually dreamed about it." The tips of his fingers drifted over my chest, down my stomach. "Crazy, huh?"

Everything felt crazy. Being in his arms like this. Being this close to him and _liking_ it. I lifted my hand, running my fingers down his cheek. He turned to the touch, pressing his lips against the palm of my hand. And when his head lowered to mine again, I sparked alive under him, only for him.

As our kisses deepened and our explorations grew, we got lost in how our bodies moved against each other, how we couldn't get close enough. The clothes that we still wore were a hindrance I wanted to be rid of, because I was ready to take that next step and I could feel that Percy was, too. Tomorrow or next week wasn't guaranteed. Not that it ever was, but for us, things really weren't looking in our favor. There really was only now, and I wanted to seize the moment and live in it. I wanted to share the moment with Percy—to share everything with him.

His hands…his kisses were completely undoing me. And when his hand moved down my stomach, slipping even farther down, I opened my eyes, his name barely a whisper. A faint whitish-red glow outlined my body, throwing shadows along the walls of the room. Electricity surged through my veins and every sense felt heightened. There was something soul-burningly beautiful about being on the brink of losing control, tumbling over into the unknown, and I wanted to fall and never resurface.

But Percy stopped.

I stared up at him, running my hands over the hard planes of his stomach. "What?"

"You…you're not going to believe me." He pressed another sweet and tender kiss against my lips. "But I want to do this right."

I started to smile. "I doubt you could do this wrong."

Percy's lips stretched into a smug half grin. "Yeah, I'm not talking about that. That I will do perfectly, but I want to… I want us to have what normal couples have."

Stupid, damnable tears rushed to my eyes, and I blinked them back. Oh dear gods, I was going to bawl like a baby.

Cupping my cheek, he let out a strangled sound. "And the last thing I want to do is stop, but I want to take you out again—go on a date or something. I don't want what we're about to do to be overshadowed by everything else."

With what looked like a great amount of effort, Percy lifted off me and eased down on his side. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me back against him. His lips grazed my temple. "Okay?"

Tipping my head back, I looked into his golden eyes. This…this was more than okay. And it took me several tries to speak, because my throat was burning with emotion. "I think I might love you."

Percy's arm tightened around me as he kissed my flushed cheek. "Told you."

Not what I expected as a response.

He chuckled, rolling onto his side—onto me, really. "My bet—I won. I told you that you'd tell me you loved me on Christmas Day."

Looping my arms around his neck, I shook my head. "No. You lost."

Percy frowned. "How so?"

"Look at the time." I tipped my chin toward the clock. "It's past midnight. It's the 26th. You lost."

For several moments he stared at the clock like it was a monster he was about to blast into oblivion, and then his eyes found mine. Percy smiled. "No. I didn't lose. I still won."

* * *

The next morning I woke up, feeling airy and…happy. I needed to shower and get ready for the day. There was a part of me that felt wrong for the smile on my face. Should I be content after everything? I wasn't sure. It didn't seem fair.

And I needed to see Annabeth.

After I stepped out of the steamy bathroom wrapped in my robe, I wasn't startled when I saw Percy lounging on my bed, freshly showered and changed.

I made my way over to the bed. "What are you doing?"

He patted the spot beside him, and I crawled onto the bed. "We need to stick together over the next couple of weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if Luke shows. We're safer together."

"Is that the only reason?"

A lazy, indulgent grin played across his lips as he tugged on the belt of my robe. "Not the only reason. Probably the smartest, but definitely not the most pressing."

Things had changed between us in a matter of hours. We talked more last night…and kissed some more before falling asleep in each other's arms. Now, there was an openness, a partnership in things. He was still a total smartass. And yeah, that smug grin still irked me.

But I loved him.

And the jerk loved me, too.

Percy sat up and pulled me into his lap. He kissed my forehead. "What are you thinking?"

I burrowed my head into the space between his shoulder and neck. "A lot of things. Do…do you think it's wrong to be happy right now?"

His arms tightened. "Well, I wouldn't send out a mass text message or anything."

I rolled my eyes.

"And I'm not entirely happy. I don't think I've really come to terms with everything. Lee was…" He trailed off, his throat working.

"I didn't mean to kill him." I whispered. "She's hurting so badly right now and it's all my fault."

"She needs time. We owe her that much." His lips moved against my temple, and my heart raced.

My throat tightened. "You're her best friend, Percy. I don't want her to hate you for something you didn't do."

"Well, that's not up to you." He placed two fingers under my chin, tipping my head back.

I stretched up, kissing his lips. "I'm sorry about Zoë-I know you two were close."

He sighed, stroking my hair. "Thank you."

A brief silence followed before I spoke again. "Do you know what's happening at the counselor's meeting today?"

"Something about the doomsday prophecy." His eyes darkened and he watched my expression intently.

"Figures." I try to smile. "Something must be off because it's four days since my birthday and no doomsday. I mean, what gives?"

"No idea."

"Well, we better find out." I sighed and wiggled out of his grasp. A change of clothes later, Percy and I were in the big house, taking our seats next to Silena Beauregard and Beckendorf.

Silena gave me a small smile as Micheal Yew took a seat behind us. He was rubbing his palms together nervously.

"Hey, you'll do fine, kid." Beckendorf winked at the son of Apollo.

I sucked in a sharp breath, averting my gaze. Micheal was Lee's replacement and therefore, new counselor of the Apollo cabin.

My head whipped around, searching for Annabeth. I had to talk to her-to explain myself.

"She's not here," Percy whispered in my ear. "She's on duty-she sent Malcolm to represent the Athena cabin."

"Oh." My voice was a whisper. She'd rather guard the fleece than attend the counselor meeting and see me. Or rather, Percy. I shook my head; there had to be some way to make this right.

"Counselors," Chiron's voice boomed throughout the room and all conversations practically ceased. "I've called you all here today to discuss the future of our world as we know it. As many of you know, Thalia has been revived through the golden fleece and is the oldest known child of the big three. On her sixteenth birthday, she was supposed to decide the fate of Olympus but for reasons unknown, this event has not occurred yet. The gods have decided to allow her to receive the prophecy now to further investigate this issue."

"What could've gone wrong?" I asked.

"My dear, that is for you to find out." Chiron looked at me sadly, as if I was already dead. "Please visit the oracle in the attic and return to us."

"Okay." I tried to keep my voice steady but inside I was wreck. This was it. I was about to hear a prophecy that probably predicted my death.

I stood up, hoping that I looked braver than I felt.

Percy's hand latched onto mine and suddenly I was staring into his golden eyes. "Thalia, I-"

"I'll be okay, I promise." I tried to smile. "Everything will be okay. Keep my seat warm, kay?"

He opened his mouth as if to say more but shook his head and offered me a smile. "Of course."

Just as Percy sat back down, I walked up the stairs and opened the attic door, causing dust to fly around.

After a brief coughing fit, I made my way through the discarded materials and over to the Oracle. Presently, she was just a skeleton but soon her mouth would emit a green gas that foretold prophecies.

I steadied my heartbeat and took a deep breath. "As a child of the eldest gods, I've been issued a prophecy foretelling the rise and fall of Olympus. Oracle, tell me the Great Prophecy."

"It is not yours." Her voice was a raspy whisper.

"Yes, it is." I insisted. "I am the oldest known child of the big three."

"No, you are not. It is not yours."

"I don't understand." My mind was spinning, trying to figure out who it could be. The other children of the big Three-Percy and Nico were younger than me.

If a skeleton could look pissed, the oracle certainly did. "Girl, how many times have I got to tell you-it ain't your prophecy no more. Now leave and do your nae nae whip thing."

I jumped back, startled at her tone. The oracle closed her mouth and it didn't open again.

A million thoughts were racing through my mind as I returned to the meeting.

"Well?" Beckendorf raised a brow as I took a seat.

I was sure my face was as white as a sheet. My eyes glanced around, searching for answers. Luke had said that I was revived to use the Ophiotaurus as a weapon against the gods. I was the oldest child of the big three. This was _my_ prophecy. The prophecy my father and his brothers tried so hard to prevent and now the oracle was saying it wasn't me.

Something wasn't adding up here. I was missing something.

"It's not me." I said, my voice ringing with finality. Though I was partially grateful, I was also a little angry. Sure, I ha d to face an undefeatable titan lord and possibly die in the process, but that was my burden. It was my glory. I was supposed to be a legend-like Hercules. I trained day and night for this, I honed my powers and now it was all for nothing?

I didn't believe it. I couldn't.

"Come again?" Chiron's mouth dropped.

"The oracle said I wasn't the child of the prophecy. I'm not the oldest-at one point I was, and now I'm not. That's all she said. She didn't tell me how or why. That's it."

"It can't be possible." Malcolm voiced. "Someone must have tampered with your age, Thalia."

"Well, you were a tree for a few years so maybe that has to do with it." Silena offered, looking worried.

"No, she reverted to the age she would've been if she hadn't been a tree." Beckendorf said. "It's not that-it's got to be something else."

While many theories were being thrown around, I looked at Percy. He avoided my gaze, staring at the wall ahead. His face was expressionless.

"Percy." The demigod looked up at Chiron's voice. "Visit the oracle and see what she says."

I blinked a few times. "He's a younger than me-even if by a few minutes. It can't be him-maybe it's someone we don't know yet."

"I'm aware, Thalia. Nonetheless, he must go consult the oracle."

Percy gave one quick nod before leaving.

The whole room was silent as Chiron focused his gaze on me. "Is there any other way your mind could've been tampered with, Thalia? Anything that you can remember?"

"No..." I started, unsure. I frowned-there was one place that time seemed to have stopped but I don't know... "I mean, maybe. Have you ever heard of the Lotus Hotel and Casino? In Las Vegas? Percy and I were there a few days ago and it felt as though time had just kind of sto-"

"Stopped?" My mentor finished, his face pale. I nodded and he continued. "Thalia, that establishment was created by Lotus-eaters so that anyone that entered would never want to leave. Time stops there so if you were there on your birthday and somehow, you happened to enter at your actual time of birth, for a short period of time-you were still fifteen."

"And when I walked out, time resumed and I turned sixteen." I concluded, my heart dropping in my chest.

"Precisely." The centaur confirmed.

"Wait, so whose idea was it to go to the Lotus Casino?" Clarisse asked.

"Percy's." I said, voice flat.

"But how would he know the exact time of your birth?" Beckendorf questioned.

"He's a son of Kronos. He made sure we were in there by midnight-that's my exact time of birth." I replied.

"As the child of the titan of time, Percy is immune to the casino." Chiron explained. "While time would still cease for him while in the casino, he isn't tempted by the allure of the establishment. He is complete control and can easily leave the casino unlike others. Thalia, did he leave you there?"

"Yes." My voice cracked and my heart was racing. "His exact time of birthday was 12:05 and he left one minute before that."

Chiron sucked in a sharp breath. "So you were inside, frozen at fifteen years old and Percy walked out-where time was normal-and turned sixteen. Therefore, he is the child of the prophecy."

I drew in a shaky breath. My head was spinning. I didn't know what to think. I was angry and heart broken. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. This wasn't his burden to bear.

I heard footsteps and someone entered the room. The back of my neck felt warm and for a moment I wondered when that feeling would stop. Annabeth had said it would when I turned sixteen-when the prophecy was complete but now that I was no longer the child of the prophecy, I wondered how this connection would work.

"It's me." Percy's voice rang out and I looked straight ahead, trying not to look at him. "She didn't tell me the prophecy but she said I have two more years. The prophecy's age has now been changed to eighteen."

No one spoke.

"What?" He asked, searching for answer.

I stood up, shoulders squared and looked him straight in the eye. In his eyes, I saw mine and they were a cold blue.

"Percy," I started, my voice strong. I already knew the answer but I wanted to hear him say it. I needed to. "What did you do to me?"

Before he could answer, the front door swung open, slamming against the clapboard like a gunshot. I froze, but Percy spun around, his hands closing into fists, preparing to face anything and expecting the worst.

Annabeth rushed forward, holding someone's hand. Strands of blonde curly hair streamed behind her. Even from where I was, I could see the tears glistening on her tan cheeks, under her swollen eyes. But she was laughing. She was smiling, babbling absolute nonsense, but she was smiling.

I strained my neck to see the person behind Annabeth. Percy took a step forward as the front door started to swing shut but stopped. A short and thin form filled the doorway, swaying like a reed. As the form drifted forward, Percy stumbled.

Oh gods, Percy never stumbled.

The why sunk in slowly, and I blinked—too scared to believe what I was seeing. It all seemed surreal. Like maybe I'd fallen asleep and I was dreaming something too perfect.

Because under the glow of the porch light was a woman with brown wavy hair curling around broad cheekbones, lips that were wide and expressive, and eyes that were dull but still such a striking shade of blue. They seemed to change colors in the light-kaleidoscope eyes. A female but similar version of Percy stood on the porch. Gaunt and pale, but beautiful.

"Mom," Percy croaked out.

Then he broke into a dead run, feet pounding across the room. Wetness gathered in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as Percy threw his arms around her, his broader body blocking his mother's.

Somehow, some way, Percy's mom was here.

Percy pulled his mother to him, but she… she was just standing there, arms limp against her sides, her face as beautiful as her son's but painfully empty.

"Mom…?" Uncertainty carried in Percy's voice as he pulled back, twisting my insides into raw, nervous little knots that traveled up my throat, getting stuck and stealing my breath.

She blinked a few times like she was trying to recognize him and when she did, she cupped his face and held him close. "Percy, it's okay-I'm here now."

As the two embraced, tears of joy streaming down their faces, I looked at Annabeth. She was crying too, so happy for him despite the fact that 'he' killed Lee. I was filled with hope-as long as Annabeth still saw something in Percy, I knew I could fix this. She didn't hate him and after he had been through, she knew how important this was to him.

Little did I know but in that moment, everything would change…for the better and for the worse.

 **The end of Book Three**

* * *

 **A/N-Once again, thanks so much for reading this chapter and all the previous ones, I really appreciate it. Like always, I have two A/Ns after the last chapter-one lets you guys know the release date for the next book and another alerts you the day the fourth fic comes out. So please, don't unfollow this fic yet and if you guys don't want to read the A/Ns just follow me (as an writer) and you will be alerted when the fourth book comes out!**


	14. AN 1

**A/N- Hey guys! If you're reading this, that means you've finished the Child of time: Untamed! Or you clicked on the wrong chapter but we'll go with the first one. So let's start off with the stats for this fic, shall we? As of today, there's 76, 285 words (I know, I'm excessive. Did you know the average novel is 50k words? So not only is this thirteen chapters-which is somewhat short, for me at least-it's one part of a series. Insane. This is my longest fic to date but it's certainly not the longest I'll have. I'm thinking the fifth fic for this series may be the longest.) 13 chapters, 41 reviews (not counting the reviews for chapter 13 because this A/N is going up the same time as that so I don't have any right now) 9, 546 views, it's been added to one community, 49 favs, 71 alerts. All in all, that's amazing-especially since I left ff shortly after I started the second fic in this series so I've lost most of the original audience. Not that I don't love you guys, though! And on top of that, it's a series so I know some people are like, intriguing summary but I don't have the time to read the other fics in that series so it means alot that some of you clicked on this and went back to read the other two fics knowing that. This was actually the easiest fic I've written to date-I went through some harrowing scenes but I managed to update most of the time. But anyway, thanks for reading guys and I'm really excited to bring you guys the next book.**

 **What's happening in the next** **book?**

A lot of things. Before I forget, the next fic will be in Thalia's, first person pov. I think the fifth book should be in both Percy's and Thalia's pov-maybe it will be equal parts or mostly Thalia. My girl Sally is back and I'll let you guys know how she managed to escape Tartarus. Along with her return, prompts a quest. She was in Tartarus with a certain Mr. Blowfish and our beloved heroes are going to rescue him for her. I'm not sure if this will be _the_ actual quest but it's going to be an objective. We're going to expand on Percy slowly becoming evil-I meant to go more in depth with that this fic but I actually think it's better to bring that up next fic because now Thalia knows that Percy was talking to Luke so she'll question that and we can lump that plot line together. We'll get to Annabeth-of course. She will find out that it wasn't Percy in the fourth fic but she probably won't forgive Thalia until the fifth fic. Maybe, depends on how generous I'm feeling. She's going to be more angry than sad so OOC warning right here. Sorry if I'm jumping around here but onto the next topic: Perlia. Last chapter was an eyebrow raiser for them, they had a great date then Percy goes and screws up the prophecy. That issue will be resolved in the first chapter because first off, you can't really be mad at someone for saving you from possible death and it was just an opener to introduce some tension. We love tension! In this fic, we introduced tension by having Zoe kind of butt in and Thalia's whole spiel about you only like me because of the connection but our lovebirds overcame that obstacle so in the next fic, we'll introduce tension by having this kind of 'unfair' partnership. For example, Percy taking Thalia's burden and not letting her make her own choices. In the next fic, he'll try to get her to sit out on the quest and other things like that. He means it in good faith but there's supposed to be a partnership and Thalia knows that and will try to be stronger so he won't have to worry about her. If you're ever wondering why I have to have tension is because I'm prone to make things all fluffy after a couple gets together. My mind is like nooo but my fingers just type away and ride off into the sunset. If I don't have tension, you will hate the characters. Well, I would. I won't have to worry about that in the fifth book-those two are going to be in danger every five seconds so screw tension, there won't be time!

Okay, I spaced it out so your eyes can stop bleeding but we're still on the same question here. Along those same lines, there will be a love interest-I said that it would be for Percy but now I'm thinking it will be for Thalia. I mean, Zoe was Percy's love interest so I think there should be balance. If it is for Thalia then you can probably guess who it will be. They're there to create unease and drama, not to break the two up. Just to clarify. It's purely for my entertainment, it will do nothing to help the plot line or the characters, I'm just a shitty human being. Um, Nico will make an appearance and as you read last chapter, he's going to be optimistic and although I love canon Nico, I just thought it'd be best to change it up. As to whether he will find Bianca's rebirth version is another question that may or may not be answered in the fourth fic.

Also, we're diving into some mature themes next book. I'm not going to lie, there's going to be a sex scene. I will warn you the chapter before, the chapter of, and the sentence before the scene starts. It won't be graphic-I can't stand that, like yes I know what the love cavern thank you, I don't want it described like that. So no private parts will be mentioned and it should be described in more of emotions rather than the act itself. I really want to try my hand at that because I actually do want to be a published author one day (Hence why I take this site so seriously and use pretentious terms like plot lines) so might as well practice. If you guys are like that made me regurgitate my lunch, eat it, then throw it back up again to seven baby birds then I will scrap it and we'll pretend like it never happened. Um, I'm not planning have those two characters in that scene get married then have sex-I know some people agree with that whole thing but I'm not doing a wedding just to write a sex scene. My story, my way. *Screeches and flies into the abyss* Oh and some curse words, nothing serious. I'm still rating it T and will just warn you guys at the sex scene. I think we're good, next question!

 **What's not happening in the next book?**

Calypso. I actually love her (I haven't read the HoO series past the MoA but I know Leo ends up on Ogyia but I loved her from the BotL alone.) but she has no place in the next fic as far as I can tell. She might be useful some other time, though but I just don't have time to send Percy off there and we've already got a third love interest. I actually reread the book of whatever fic I'm writing-I don't know if that made sense. Like I'm about to write a fic based on BotL so I'm going to reread to get the gist. I know I could go on riordanwiki but I actually like rereading them and I don't take long because I've already read it and I don't read it that closely, you know. As far as I know, Rachel Dare is not happening. In canon, she was briefly introduced in the Titan's Curse but I didn't do that in Untamed because I didn't feel like it was going to fit. We'll probably use Sally as the sight-seeing mortal through the labyrinth. I haven't reread BoTL yet, I'm doing that tomorrow but as far as I can tell that's pretty much it.

 **Some things you may or may not be wondering about:**

If you're wondering why Annabeth didn't join the hunt in this fic, the answer is I wasn't ready to let her go. Should I have let her join-yes, did I want to? No. I'm not bringing Lee back but I'm going to keep her. She won't join Kronos to spite Percy if that's what you're wondering. So far, I don't have an exact plan for her so she may end up joining the hunt later on-like in the fifth book. If you're wondering why I exaggerated Bianca's death, you know the whole part where Percy is like 'I buried her under the constellation' is because that is my least favorite part in the Titan's Curse-it's the only gripe I have about it-everytime I reread it, I don't get the fact that she's dead so I made it super obvious in this fic. Maybe it's just me but it gets me everytime. Kind of like Prim's death in Mockingjay-the book does a horrible job of conveying how she died. It's pretty obvious in the movie-don't gasp, it's not spoilers, you've had years to read the books/watch the movies. That's all I wanted to explain though.

 **Updating schedule for the fourth fic:**

I'll try to update every saturday unless I tell you other wise. I'm actually employed (hey, I need a car) and I work from 12-5 on the week days. So even though it's summer, not all of my time is available. As you can see, I don't start work till 12 which is pretty late, even for a part-time job so I have a huge chunk of time before I have to go so I'm thinking that's where I'll be editing and I'll write in the afternoons, after work. Sometimes, I'll update twice a week but new job so I have to find a balance before I can commit to that. If I update twice a week, it will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

 **Now for the question you all have been waiting for...when's the next fic coming out?!**

June 21st! The summer solstice-actually I believe the solstice is on the 20th this year but we're going to ignore that, yay! It is a week and five days from now so not too bad. I use that time to completely plan out the fourth fic, figure out a summary, title, image cover, and I'm trying to have at least four chapters done by the release date. Also, it gives you guys a chance to reread this series if you want to and bring up the plot-holes I know I have lying around somewhere. Like, the time will go by fast, trust me. You'll live. Also like I said I completely hash out an outline for every chapter so this is the time to PM/review any suggestions if you have any. I'll answer back, whether I like it or not and you may see it in the fic! These outlines are not set in stone and if I really like your idea, I'll make room for it. Even if we're like on chapter four of the next fic and you're like maybe you should kill off Percy, I'd be like nice try but no but hey, I considered it.

Um at the end of Marked I gave you guys a sneak peek of a scene in this fic but I don't even have a scene to really come up with right now (At least that's not at the beginning of the fic) It's kind of my way of thanking you for reading this fic and reading all this A/N. I write these off the top of my head with little to no substantial editing so forgive moi. This is a Percy Pov scene so it won't help advance the plot so you don't have to read it if you don't want to.

* * *

 **The following is scene from chapter 12, the 'Us' scene at Chrissy Field**

 **1st POV/Percy-**

 **The entire world was crashing down on us.** That son of a bitch Luke—I should've killed him the moment I first saw him. I should've killed him now. He forced Thalia to make a choice she never should have and now Lee was dead. Annabeth was destroyed. Luke was still out there and the only thing I could think about—cared about—was what Thalia was telling me. That she had never felt this way about anyone before. That she couldn't catch her breath and that she felt alive.

And she was talking about how she felt about me.

"But none of this matters," she continued, "because I know you really hate me now. I understand that. I just wish I could go back and change everything! I—"

I moved too fast for her to track and clasped her cheeks. "I never hated you."

She blinked, and gods, I couldn't stand it if she cried. "But—"

"I don't hate you now, Thalia." My gaze locked with her watery one. "I'm mad at you—at myself. I'm so angry, I can taste it. I want to find Luke and rearrange parts of his body. But do you know what I thought about all day? The one single thought I couldn't escape, no matter how pissed off I am at you?"

"No," she whispered.

My chest constricted. "That I'm lucky, because the person I can't get out of my head, the person who means more to me than I can stand, is still alive. She's still there. And that's you."

A tear trailed down her cheek. "What…what does that mean?"

"I really don't know." I chased after the tear with my thumb. "I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, what a year from now is going to be like. Hell, we may end up killing each other over something stupid next week. It's a possibility. But all I do know is what I feel for you isn't going anywhere."

She started to cry harder, and it made me weak in the knees. I bent my head, kissing the tears away until that wasn't enough and I needed a taste of her. I kissed her, growling at the way her lips felt against mine.

But Thalia pulled back. "How can you still want me?"

I pressed my forehead against hers. "Oh, I still want to strangle you. But I'm insane. You're crazy. Maybe that's why. We just make crazy together."

"That makes no sense." She pointed out.

"It kind of does, to me at least." I kissed her again. I had to. "It might have to do with the fact you finally admitted you're deeply and irrevocably in love with me."

She let out a weak, shaky laugh. "I so did not admit that."

"Not in so many words, but we both know it's true. And I'm okay with it."

"You are?" She closed those beautiful, electric-blue eyes, and all I could think was how grateful I was she was still breathing.

Man, I was turning into a pansy.

But I didn't care. Not when it came to her.

"It's the same for you?" she asked.

My answer was to bring our mouths together again…and again. The touch was passionate, like sending lightning straight to the soul. The kiss deepened until there was no me, no her. It was just us, and it wasn't enough—could never be enough.

I was moving without realizing it, and the next thing I knew my heart was doing crazy crap in my chest.

Thalia breathed heavily. "This doesn't change anything I've done. All of this is still my fault."

I moved so close I was practically attached to her. And I wanted to be in so many different ways. "It's not all your fault. It's all of ours. And we're in this together. We'll face whatever is waiting for us together."

"Us?"

"If there is anything, there is us."

* * *

 **The following is a scene from chapter 13, the Christmas Bet**

 **1st POV/Percy-**

 **I started to fall hard for Thalia when I realized one thing: her intensity.** She had this intense gaze that seem to know your soul and your intent. She was badass when she wielded her spear and shield, ready to fight anything. I think the reason why I provoked her so much was because I loved to see her get angry. That blush of hers was my kryptonite-it gave more life to her face. She looked like an angel but could be the devil in disguise. She was a beautiful disaster and I was madly enthralled by her.

I expected this same intense gaze when I visited her today at her cabin but it wasn't there. She was genuinely excited to see me. Huh. It must've been the flowers.

Presently, I was having a hard time not staring her lips as she was talking. Those rosy lips were getting tempting and I was trying to pay attention. The fact that she was sitting on my lap was not helping either.

"That's like...assassin-ception." She was saying, awed.

I almost laughed-loving how the little things fascinated her. "You like that, don't you?" I know it sounded stupid, but I wanted to see that look on her face again. I nodded, working on the buttons of her sweater. Some of them were buttoned incorrectly, and I laughed. Only Thalia could have trouble putting clothes on correctly and somehow make it sexy.

Thalia lifted her shoulders, and helped me get her out of the damn thing. Good. She was on board with where this was heading.

Her cheeks flushed as she pulled off her socks and lay back down. Baby Zeus, she still had on way too many clothes. "I…I kind of like the sound of that."

"Kind of?" Bull. Shit. I slipped my hand down her stomach, to the hem of her shirt and underneath. I bit down on the inside of my cheek. The minor burn of pain did nothing. I loved the way her skin felt like satin. "Kind of isn't good enough."

"Okay. I do like that."

"So do I." I lowered my head, kissing her slowly. "I bet you love that."

Her lips curved into a smile against mine. "I do."

There was that damn constriction again, like I'd been punched in the chest, but in a good way. How you could be punched in a chest in a good way was beyond me, but damn, I sort of loved that feeling.

The sound that came from deep in my throat was more animal than human. I kissed her still damp cheeks as she told me about her childhood and her alcoholic mother and I wanted to somehow go back in time and somehow ease her pain but right now, I did what I could and she was the only thing that mattered.

In between the kisses that unraveled me and then pieced me back together, I spoke things I never told anyone. Growing up in the orphanage, being returned so many time which had taken a toll on me. My search for my mother and wondering whether I'd ever find her.

Everything I felt was in every touch and even what I didn't see was in the way my fingers brushed over the fragile bones of her ribcage. And with every breathy, soft moan that escaped her lips, I was snared in her web a little more.

My hands shook as they moved up, and I hoped she didn't notice. I was blown away, shattered by what she allowed me to do. Pieces of our clothing disappeared. My shirt. Hers. Thalia's hand drifted down my stomach, and I clenched my jaw so hard I was sure I was going to be paying a visit to a dentist soon.

When her fingers found the button on my jeans, I was completely lost to her, but in a way I never, ever expected.

"You have no idea how badly I want this," I told her, bringing the tips of my fingers down her chest and over her stomach. So beautiful. "I think I've actually dreamed about it. Crazy, huh?"

She lifted a small hand, running the pads of her fingers down my cheek. I turned into the touch, pressing a kiss against the palm of her hand, and then I found her mouth again. This kiss was different, more intense, and Thalia—aw, God—Thalia came alive. Hips rocking together, our bodies fitted so tightly there was a good chance I would slip into my true form and knock out the power in the entire state.

Our explorations grew. Her hands were everywhere, and I urged her with words and touches to go further. Her leg curled around my hips—sweet, baby Zeus—I was nearly undone.

With my name on her lips and with barely anything separating us, I felt the last of my control slipping. Power surged through me and she was unraveling as well. Whitish-red light radiated off of her, bathing me in the warm glow. There was nowhere that my hands didn't explore, and the way her body arched into the slightest touch, I was awed and consumed. Kissing her and drawing her deep inside me, I never wanted this to end. She was perfect to me. She was mine, and I wanted her more than I wanted anything in my life.

But I stopped.

Everything that had happened flipped through my head like a photo album I wanted to burn. Both our emotions were all over the place. There had been death, discovery, and so much more. And we were rushing headfirst into not turning back.

I didn't want our first time to be like this—to be because of what happened.

My gods, I was a mushy pansy ass, but I stopped.

Thalia stared up at me, running her hands over my stomach and making it really hard to slam on the brakes. I was having second thoughts to the max. "What?" she asked.

"You…you're not going to believe me." Hell, I didn't believe it. I was starting to wonder if I was having an out of body experience and I wasn't completely myself. In a couple of seconds, I was really going to regret this. "But I want to do this right."

She started to smile. "I doubt you could do this wrong."

Ha. "Yeah, I'm not talking about that. That I will do perfectly, but I want to…" Break out the subscription to the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime Movie Network. "I want us to have what normal couples have."

Thalia looked like she was going to cry again. I'd probably be crying soon, but for a totally different reason.

I cupped her cheek, exhaling roughly. "And the last thing I want to do is stop, but I want to take you out—go on a date or something." I sounded like an idiot. "I don't want what we're about to do to be overshadowed by everything else."

I think I might have blushed. Damn me.

Calling on every ounce of self-control I had, I did the unthinkable and lifted off her, easing down on my side. I wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her close. I brushed my lips across her temple. "Okay?"

Thalia tipped her head back, meeting my stare. Her throat worked on her next words. "I think I might love you."

Air punched out of my lungs. I held her tight, and I knew right then I would burn down the whole universe for her if I had to. I'd do it even if she just asked me to. I'd do anything she asked of me. I would do anything to keep her safe. Kill. Steal. Fight. Die. Anything. Because she was my everything.

And I wanted to tell her so, but I didn't want to tempt the universe. Bad things happened to the people I loved. Annabeth was living proof of that.

Instead, I kissed her cheek. "Told you."

Thalia stared at me, dumbfounded. She did not see that coming.

I chuckled, and although it didn't seem possible, I moved closer. "My bet—I won. I told you that you'd tell me you love me on Christmas Day."

Looping her arms around my neck, she shook her head. "No. You lost."

I narrowed my eyes, frowning. "How so?"

"Look at the time." She tilted her chin toward the clock on the wall. "It's past midnight. It's the 26th. You lost."

For several moments I stared at the clock, wishing it into a black hole, but then my gaze found hers and I smiled—really smiled. "No. I didn't lose. I still won."


	15. AN 2

**A/N- Hey guys! Again, I'd like to thank all of you that continue to read this series and I just wanted to let you guys know that the fourth fic in this series is out now! It's called the Child of Time: Chosen and if you'll just go to my profile then to my stories, you will find it. I will officially mark this fic as complete but feel free to continue to leave reviews or favorites if you'd like. Bye!**


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